A device that could dramatically reduce the number of collisions by eliminating driver error is to be tested in Europe. The system uses technology similar to wi-fi to enable vehicles to communicate with each other, sharing information about their speed and location, to determine when a crash is imminent. It can then warn the driver or take over the controls.
Cohda Wireless, an Australian technology start-up, will announce this month that it has signed a multi-million-pound contract with a partnership of several European governments to begin the first big trial of its vehicle communication system. It claims its technology could cut road fatalities by half.
Known as the Cohda intelligent transport system, the technology uses a GPS locator and a chip that allows cars to communicate their speed and location, 10 times per second over a radio frequency, to other similarly equipped vehicles within a 500ft radius. The device will alert drivers if, for example, a car jumps a red light, or advise them when it is unsafe to overtake. If it detects the potential for a collision, the system can give an audible warning or take over the reins if the driver’s reactions prove too slow.