Feds Propose New Ruling Requiring All Vehicles to Communicate Wirelessly

The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing a new rule that would require new cars to be able to communicate with each other on the road, according to a new report.

The DoT’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which rolled out on Tuesday, hopes to mandate short-range, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication in an effort to help cars avoid crashing into each other. The proposal would require all vehicles to use a standard wireless technology, so they all “speak the same language.” Vehicle manufacturers would have four years to comply with the new rule if it is finalized by the incoming presidential administration, Reuters reported.

“Once deployed, V2V will provide 360-degree situational awareness on the road and will help us enhance vehicle safety,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement.

The car-to-car communication would hopefully warn drivers about potential crashes, allowing them to avoid accidents more efficiently — particularly in intersections or when changing lanes. The dedicated wireless technology would have a potential range of 300 meters, and would update and send data like location, speed, direction and brake status up to 10 times per second, according to The Verge.

This type of technology could potentially eliminate or reduce the severity of up to 80 percent of all non-drunk driving auto accidents, according to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Of course, the new technology wouldn’t be free. According to Department of Transportation estimates, the equipment required to make V2V work will cost around $350 per individual vehicle in 2020. That would add up to annual costs of between $2.2 and $5 billion per year by 2021 for the entire auto industry, according to CNET’s Roadshow. Of course, the DoT believes that the costs would be offset by the potential savings from a reduction in auto crashes.

The new rule isn’t quite law yet, however. The proposed rule is now in a 90-day public comment window. After that timeframe is up, the federal government will review the comments and tweak the proposal before submitting a final ruling. Have an opinion? You can leave a comment about the proposed rule at safercar.gov.