New Car Tech Could Reduce Accidents

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New Car Tech Could Reduce Accidents

August 8, 2012

New technology being developed by General Motors (GM), parent company of Vauxhall, could help make roads safer for cyclists and pedestrians.

GM is developing technology that will actually warn the driver if they are too close to other road users. It is believed that this could reduce the number of collisions, fatalities and potentially reduce car insurance claims as a result.

The technology will utilise something called Wi-Fi Direct. This means that there is no fixed access point - such as a phone mast. Instead it will allow smartphones and other wireless handheld devices to transfer information to each other.

The company believes that this technology will take around five years for it to become advanced enough to make a difference. GM has said that this is because a large number of cyclists and pedestrians would need to download an app to their mobile device that would then communicate with a Wi-Fi device in a vehicle.

GM are reportedly developing technology to allow cars to drive themselves within the next ten years. Cadillacs are expected to benefit from the technology in three years time, followed by Vauxhall cars.

Commenting on behalf of Vauxhall in Luton, a spokesperson said:

"It will then be used on other models and by the end of the decade we will have Vauxhalls capable of driving the driver."

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/cars/article-2183958/Vauxhall-plots-new-safe-family-car-capable-driving-driver.html