V2V – Taking Away a Mandate on the Road Towards Safety

One of the most important mandates that were proposed during the Obama administration is now being set aside and won’t be required under the Trump administration. This is a technology that will make it possible for vehicles to communicate with each other and offer their location several times per second to help ensure a prediction of the activity can be experienced and communicated to other vehicles on the road. This technology is the vehicle-to-vehicle communication system, also known as V2V. The purpose of this network is to aid in the prevention of crashes and lower the number of fatalities we see on the roads, but the current Presidential administration has pulled back the mandate.

The goal of this present administration is to reduce the number of government regulations that we experience in our lives, but this seems to be one that should have been pursued and continued to be added to the market. The only way to make sure every new vehicle that’s built has this communication system offered is to mandate it. Without this requirement, we’re more likely to see an inconsistency in the market as many automakers won’t add anything to vehicles that aren’t required.

How can V2V Help?

If a vehicle or all vehicles are equipped with V2V for the drive we need and the communication that will reduce the number and severity of crashes it has to be mandated. This technology is estimated to be able to have a positive effect on up to eighty percent of the collisions that don’t involve alcohol or drugs. This system is also part of what was expected to be used to add an additional layer of protection when self-driving cars make their way to the market and become the way we enjoy the drive on a daily basis.
Over the past few years, the number of traffic fatalities has increased by nearly 5,000 deaths which are the largest increase in a two-year span since the early 1960s. This is a strong enough reason for the technology to be used, but the difficulty lies in developing the cable and tech needed to make this a possibility for the drive that will help keep people safer. There has been a spectrum set aside to make it possible to have this network developed and the FCC has been testing the network to see what will be needed and make sure it won’t be shared with anything else.
The fact that we have more distracted drivers than ever because of the widespread use of smartphones, makes this a necessary technology that will be used for the drive we need to make every day. It’s time for V2V to become a part of what we have in the cars we drive. If the current administration wants to reduce government regulations, this isn’t the place to do so because V2V is a system that can help save lives and allow us to move forward with the development of the technology that will be offered for the future.