General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) is installing all its new 2017 Cadillac with CTS performance that allow vehicle to vehicle communication technology.
How does it work
The technology will help detect likely upcoming hazards such as slippery roads and warn the driver. For instance if one CTS swerves on the road to avoid hitting an object, or if there is an airbag deployment or if the vehicle is in the midst of any kind of hazard, that information is transferred to other similar CTS sedans behind it on the same road. The driver is made aware of the conditions and this could help avoid accidents.
The technology involves the use of dedicated short rage communications (DRC) which is a high speed low latency medium to communicate with one another. The details are just like Wi-Fi only that transmissions do not happen on the Wi-Fi’s 2.4GHz frequencies. Instead they occur on the 5.9GHz frequencies using the 75MHz of spectrum that was specifically set aside by the FCC to enable vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle to vehicle (V2V) communications.
Communication capacity
GM stated that whenever one of the Cadillacs approaches a cloverleaf, the technology will scan the area. Then it will locate the position, speed and direction of the other vehicles and alert the drivers of the potential dangers that may not be visible in different circumstances. Each vehicle has a capacity to handle 1,000 messages per second from vehicles as far as 1,000 feet away. The driver have two screens from which he can receive the information of any upcoming hazards. These are the heads up display behind the steering wheel and the vehicle instrument’s cluster.
Automakers encouraged to copy the technology for safety purposes
Cadillac is only offering this technology on the mid-year 2017 CTS’s while encouraging other brands to adopt similar technology. Steve Martin, the Cadillac’s Assistant Manager of Product and Technology Communications stated that the brand hopes to work with other manufacturers in the future for a more inclusive vehicle to vehicle system.
It is only a matter of time before all vehicles sold in the U.S. will be required to install vehicle to vehicle technology as a safety precaution, though this will hurt automakers who cannot afford it. This is if the new rule by the Department of Transportation is put into practice. Other automakers are considering having V2V technology including Mercedes-Benz in its 2017 E-Class.
