New technologies are constantly emerging in the auto industry, and while Detroit has yet to invent the flying car, new advances could mean automobiles will soon be talking to one another.
Vehicle-to-vehicle communications, also known as V2X, could help prevent up to 80 percent of car accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Automobiles within close proximity to one another could send signals back and forth, relaying information about car speed, location and direction of travel, according to a Consumer Reports article. If the on-board computers determine that a crash is likely, the car will alert the driver, sometimes automatically applying the brakes if the driver response is too slow.
These types of alert systems could be beneficial to drivers in a number of scenarios, according to Consumer Reports. When approaching an intersection, a car could sense whether another driver was about to run a red light. Drivers looking to pass another vehicle on a two-lane road could be warned if they do not have enough time to get around. V2X could also eliminate worries about a car's blind spot, alerting highway drivers to the presence of another car.
Some automakers are already using V2X in the form of front-impact alerts. Wider-spread implementation of the systems is still a few years off.
Consumers don't have to wait for the cars of the future to feel safe driving down the road. Those looking for car credit to finance an auto loan could check out a recent list of the 10 safest small cars from Forbes. The list features the Audi A3 and the Lexus CT 200h in the luxury category, but thrifty shoppers could consider the Chevrolet Sonic or Cruze.
