The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) closed the comment period Monday for a proposed ruling to mandate vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) capability in all cars and light trucks in the future.
While the number of manufacturers and researchers investigating V2V technology is rapidly increasing, the system will only work if enough vehicles make use of it, according to NHTSA. The agency hopes that mandating the technology in all vehicles will continue to push development forward.
The open comment period on the proposed ruling brought enthusiastic feedback from various interest groups associated with V2V technology. Deborah Hersman, president of the National Safety Council, lauded the technology’s potential to increase safety by drastically reducing the number of crashes. At the same time, the Intelligent Transportation Society of America emphasized the importance of developing a common platform for all vehicles to connect on, regardless of manufacturer.
Comments from consumers, however, demonstrated serious concerns. One individual stated that requiring V2V technology in all cars could lead to violations of privacy; another worried about increased exposure to electromagnetic radiation.
NHTSA hopes to have a final rule in place by early 2017.
