We try 'talking car'

Accident-free motoring is moving a step closer!

Auto Express Car Reviews

New system stops our man Hardy from hitting unseen car

19th July 2007

Accident-free motoring will move a step closer later this year when a safety trial kicks off in Germany that features cars capable of ‘talking’ to each other to avoid collisions!

The pilot will involve 1,000 vehicles from many major makers, including Ford, Vauxhall, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes and Audi. It uses a new system developed by General Motors, called Vehicle-to-Vehicle, or V2V for short.

Auto Express tried it on a private test track (right), and can report it’s set to be a sensational success.

As we revealed in Issue 969, V2V uses a combination of GPS and wireless LAN (local area network) technology to let cars communicate with each other. As well as scanning the area around a motor, V2V can send data to others 200 metres away about roadworks, congestion, approaching emergency service vehicles and weather conditions.

It is also able to monitor other cars approaching at crossroads, in blind spots and those ahead that are braking suddenly. To warn the driver, the system illuminates a steering wheel warning sign, vibrates the driving seat cushions or illuminates quarter-lights in the A-pillars. In some situations, it will even dab the brakes if no action is taken. But it is always up to the driver to avoid a collision.

The project has received £40million worth of funding from the German government, and will last for four years. Ultimately V2V could add as little as £135 to a model’s price, and it will probably be made standard like ESP and ABS. But even if launched now, it would still be nine years before 90 per cent of cars were fitted with it.