Connected Car Tests in Michigan Extended by NHTSA
A testing program that began a year ago in Ann Arbor, Mich. will continue six months beyond its originally planned lifespan.
It began in August, 2012 and was meant to last a year in an effort to collect data on connected car systems. Despite the extended test program, the estimated timetable for when a decision about moving forward with the technology will not change. By the end of the year, the National Transportation Safety Administration is expected to decide if the technology should be advanced by regulatory decisions, more research or both.
The $25 million project partners with eight automakers and the University of Michigan. It uses 2,800 cars, trucks and busses and is 80 percent funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation. There are 73 miles of roadway in Ann Arbor currently outfitted with roadside communication devices.
SEE ALSO: Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication Research Advances
In the tests, vehicles are able to communicate crucial data to anticipate hazards. For example, a car can send a signal to alert other cars if it might run through a stop sign. Data is also sent to receivers on the road, giving information including speed, direction and position.
Data collected as part of the study is meant to show whether or not connected car systems would be a effective enough in avoiding crashes to be worthwhile.
[Source: the Detroit News]
Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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