U.S. Testing Wi-Fi Technology to Help Prevent Auto Accidents

As many people will agree, car accidents are tragic events that happen far too often. One look down at a cell phone and people’s lives can be put at risk, one driver who gets behind the wheel under the influence of drugs or alcohol can change the lives of people on the road forever. Death is unavoidable, and yet as people of this country should we be doing everything we can in order to help honor and protect the safety of our people? Safety on the roads is a noble cause, and yet unfortunately there are people out there who don’t value the laws placed before us, or care that by driving crazy they could be hurting people.

As a result of these far too frequent car accidents the United States government is taking action. The Transportation Department last month launched technology that will use Wi-Fi technology to help prevent accidents from happening on the street. The Department claims that this new technology will give drivers and infrastructure the chance to talk with each other in hope that with better communication there will be fewer accidents. This plan is called Safety Pilot, and at this time is considered to be the largest anti-accident technology that has been created. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood claims that this new technology will revolutionize car safety and will greatly improve not only the safety for the people but also the efficiency of the roads.

The University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute is the first to implement this sort of technology in the world, one that is not only for the car itself but also for the safety of those on the road around. This test involves vehicle of all different shapes and sizes and the volunteer cars have had this new technology installed into their vehicles and it allows the drivers to be warned about approaching safety dangers on the road. This includes any intersection that is around the corner that the driver may not have a clear view of, and if another car is approaching this area as well, the device will warn them.

Not only have these test devices been allowing the drivers to be aware of the upcoming situations they are approaching on the road, but it is also collecting data regarding the test as well as determines how effective the device has been for helping decrease accidents. The idea of an oncoming car being able to contact another car on the road using this Wi-Fi technology is amazing, and has the potential to save many lives in the future. The researching companies acknowledge how amazing this new device is and the potential it holds for the rest of the world and yet figuring out a way to implement it into our society is a whole new battlefield, and they have yet figured a way to get it out there.

The NHTSA has seen the successful technology at work with the test drivers last month, and now they will have to spend some time further researching and preparing as they decide whether or not to put it into motion here in the U.S. 90% of the test drivers do share that they really liked this new method for transportation safety, and that if sent to the market in the future they would consider using it as a means of safety precaution on the road.

While car accidents are a tragic thing for any person or family to go through, knowing that the Government wants to make changes is a good place to start. If you or someone you know however, has been involved in an accident in which it could have been prevented, contact Freedman & Freedman today for the legal counsel that you deserve!

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