According to Kurt Sievers, general manager of the automotive business at NXP, pictured, the market has suffered from ‘a chicken or egg’ situation.
“The safety technology needs to be in both your car and the other car that is putting you at risk. The decision of the DoT now provides a clear path forward for the industry and political decision makers to accelerate Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) introduction,” he said.
“Having been involved with testing this technology, NXP understands that there can be a positive impact even if only 5 to 10% of the cars are equipped with V2X — such as synchronising the speed with other vehicles to improve the traffic flow,” he added.
As a wireless, direct communications technology that connects cars across distances of more than one mile, V2X complements other advanced driver assistance technologies such as radar, cameras or ultrasound, as it works reliably in diverse weather and lighting conditions.
The accompanying report to the proposal includes preliminary estimates of safety benefits for two safety applications - Left Turn Assist and Intersection Movement Assist. The report estimates that these technologies alone could prevent up to 592,000 crashes and save 1083 lives per year. Other research indicates that V2X could reduce C02 and improve traffic flow by warning drivers of road blocks or hazards one mile ahead.