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February 11, 2011                 Lauren Jochum: (202) 721-4239; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Smart Solution Spotlight

Cars That Avoid Crashes:

Driving Toward Zero Fatalities with Connected Vehicle Technology

Washington, DC – Despite a recent decline in traffic fatalities nationwide, nearly 34,000 people were killed on U.S. roads last year and more than 2 million were injured.  What if we could cut these numbers in half or more?  What if cars, trucks, buses, and even bikes and motorcycles could “talk” to each other to detect dangerous situations and help drivers avoid crashes before they happen?

This future could be closer than you think thanks to a cooperative partnership between the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and major automakers, which is developing connected vehicle technology that could potentially prevent or reduce the impact of 4 out of 5 unimpaired crashes.

“Connected vehicles will alert drivers if another vehicle is about to run the red light, when a car in their blind spot drifts too close for comfort, if there’s a crash ahead or even if the next bridge is getting icy,” explained Scott Belcher, President and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America), who noted that vehicles can also be equipped with pre-emptive braking systems to help drivers slow down.  “By warning drivers about safety hazards, connected vehicles have the potential to save many thousands of lives each year.”

ITS America, the nation’s largest transportation technology association, recognized this partnership between the ITS Joint Program Office, part of the U.S. DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration, and two auto industry groups, the Crash Avoidance Metrics Partnership (CAMP) and the Vehicle Infrastructure Integration Consortium, with its Smart Solution Spotlight award for working collaboratively to develop and deploy life-saving vehicle technology.

“For less than the cost to replace an airbag, your new car will soon help you and your loved ones avoid crashes before they happen thanks to the efforts of U.S. DOT, Ford, General Motors, Toyota, and all of the CAMP partners,” said Belcher.

Connected vehicles combine leading edge technologies – GPS, Wi-Fi, wireless sensors, and dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) using the 5.9 GHz band allocated by the Federal Communications Commission – to enable high-speed, real-time communication between moving vehicles, transportation infrastructure, and mobile devices.

Further research and testing is being undertaken to support an expected decision in 2013 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which will determine how the Agency will proceed, and which could eventually require the technology to be installed in all new light vehicles.  A similar decision for trucks is expected to take place in 2014. An important key part of the research is a Safety Pilot test which will include a series of Driver Clinics around the U.S. where participants can experience connected vehicle technology in a controlled environment. Safety pilot also includes a model deployment of up to 3,000 vehicles which will be deployed in a real world environment where partners will be able to evaluate how motorists react to this technology.  In addition, the model deployment will provide real world data to support the 2013 and 2014 decisions.

The first driver clinic will take place following the 18th World Congress on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), the largest transportation technology event in the world which will take place from October 16 – 20, 2011 in Orlando, Florida. This event will kick off a series of six driver clinics across the country. In addition, partners will host demonstrations of connected vehicle technology during the ITS World Congress where attendees will get the opportunity to test the new vehicles at a nearby race track.

Belcher noted that in addition to the tremendous safety benefits, connected vehicles would provide the public with better travel options and services including real-time information and navigation to avoid traffic gridlock, find better routes to work, check transit schedules, locate and reserve a parking space, and pay tolls automatically.

To solicit new ideas from the public on these potential technology applications, the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) also recently launched the Connected Vehicle Technology Challenge, a national competition seeking ideas for products and applications that could use DSRC-based connectivity between vehicles to make transportation safer, greener and easier.

Selected prize recipients will receive funded opportunities to present their winning ideas at the 18th World Congress on ITS in Orlando, Florida, with the goal of unleashing a new breed of advanced wireless technologies to make universal vehicle connectivity a reality.  The Connected Vehicle Technology Challenge runs from January 24 through May 1, and competition rules and additional details can be found at www.Challenge.gov.

For more information on CAMP or the Connected Vehicle Technology Challenge, please contact Mike Pina, Communications Manager at the ITS Joint Program Office, at (202) 366-3700, or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

About the Intelligent Transportation Society of America

ITS America is the leading advocate for ITS technology development and deployment in the United States.  ITS America was established in 1991 as a not-for-profit organization to foster the use of advanced technologies across America’s surface transportation system.  Members include private companies and industry leaders, government agencies at all levels, universities and research laboratories.  For more information, visit www.itsa.org.

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