EU Approved Cars that Talk
The European Commission has recently decided to reserve, across Europe, part of the radio spectrum for smart vehicle communications systems. The decision is part of the commission’s overall fight against road accidents and traffic jams, and the hope is that vehicles’ developers will create wireless communication technology that will allow cars to “talk” to other cars and to the road infrastructure providers.
Using wireless communication cars could, for example, warn other drivers of slippery roads or of a crash which just happened. Smart vehicle communication systems have the potential to make the lives of Europe's drivers safer and easier; according to the European Commission, in 2006 more than 42,000 people died in road accidents in the European Union and more than 1.6 million were injured. One of the steps towards reducing the number of accident victims is this latest decision, which intends to foster investment in smart vehicle communication systems by the automotive industry. Furthermore, the commission hopes to spur public funding in essential roadside infrastructure.
