The U.S. Department of Transportation says it wants to save drivers’ lives. Patty Davis looks at the new technology that could make that happen.
CORRESPONDENT
Your car is coming up on an intersection1 , and you don’t see the other driver coming. This new technology warns you to stop before it’s too late.
ZAC DOERZAPH, TEST DRIVER
I’ve turned on the auditory2 alarm, which we heard and the visual alarm at the same time to grab our attention.
CORRESPONDENT
Another technology flashes warning lights to get drivers’ attention. It’s part of the government’s intelligent vehicle initiative3 to make drivers and cars smarter, and cut down on the 40,000 traffic deaths in the United States each year.
JEFF PANIATI, U.S. FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMIN
The way we’re doing that is working in partnership with the industry to get these kinds of technologies on the market, proven faster.
CORRESPONDENT
On display at the Transportation Department’s research center in Virginia, technology in this car warns drivers if they’re veering off the road.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE
It uses high-definition, GPS map data, and compares your position with the upcoming road.
CORRESPONDENT
On this Cadillac, radar in the bumper4 averts5 rear-end collisions6.
So this would actually stop your car if you failed to do so.
JEFF PANIATI
Absolutely.
CORRESPONDENT
All successful in test situations, but will they work with average drivers?
Critics say there’s no guarantee drivers in real-life situations will respond when warned, or have enough time to react at higher speeds.
Technology to avoid rear-end collisions is now available in some trucks with good results.
MARTY FLETCHER, U.S. XPRESS ENTERPRISES
We have seen as much as a 50% reduction in our preventable rear-end collisions.
CORRESPONDENT
Most of the technology for passenger vehicles, while promising, is still in the very early stages, and there are no estimates on costs. Officials say it could be years before you see it on the road. Patty Davis, CNN, Mclean, Virginia.
