Some news outlets reported that the U.S. Department of Transportation is considering significant changes to its effort to establish a nationwide standard for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) safety communications.
If these reports are correct, this change in policy will result in a substantial setback in our nation’s efforts to reduce the number of traffic crashes that result in death or injury. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of people being killed and injured is increasing, after several years of declines. In 2016, 37,461 died, a 5.6 percent increase from 2015.
“V2V communication is a key technology that is available now that will save lives on our nation’s roadways,” said John Schroer, Tennessee DOT commissioner and president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. AASHTO is working with states on a national traffic signal timing and phasing program that heavily leverages V2V and similar technologies to improve traffic flow and reduce crashes. AASHTO believes the transportation industry must have V2V available and that we must use every tool we can to make our vehicles, highways and roads safer.
“As associations representing a broad cross-section of the transportation industry, we are calling for Federal leadership to reduce the uncertainty concerning V2V and to help deploy this technology faster. Every moment we delay means a lost opportunity to reduce the number of people killed or injured on our nation’s highways,” said Institute of Transportation Engineers, Executive Director and CEO, Jeff Paniati.
The Governors Highway Safety Association reported that in 2016 the number of pedestrians killed in traffic incidents increased 11% to nearly 6,000. That is the biggest single-year increase in pedestrian fatalities ever, and the highest number in more than two decades.
“The vehicle-to-vehicle communication standard is the foundation for the vehicle-to-infrastructure and vehicle-to-pedestrian safety. V2V will make our streets safer for pedestrians at a time when the number of people being injured and killed in vehicle-pedestrian crashes is increasing,” said ITS America Interim President and CEO David St. Amant.
NHTSA says 80% of non-impaired vehicle crashes could be prevented by V2V communication.
“V2V technology is critical to making vehicles, highways and roads significantly safer. Deploying this technology sooner will save lives,” said Shailen Bhatt, chairman, V2I Deployment Coalition and Executive Director, Colorado DOT.
Our organizations are committed to working with the U.S. Department of Transportation to advance the lifesaving benefits of V2V communication systems.
