UA Team Revs up Connected-Vehicle Technology

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Cars equipped with DSRCs can alert drivers to hazards up to few hundred meters away, out of their line of sight -- for example, a car slipping on ice around a curve or an oncoming car without headlights.

Connected cars should start rolling out next year, and Head predicts national and state laws requiring DSRC will follow as the public safety benefits become apparent.

"In 2014, more than 33,000 people were killed in traffic crashes," he said. "Technology can help make travel safer. We expect DSRC technology will be mandatory in all new vehicles, just like seatbelts."

In addition to saving lives, connected roadway infrastructure and vehicles can reduce congestion and pollution.

Head is pursuing funding for the project's third phase, to include putting DSRCs in up to 20 percent of vehicles used by Anthem residents.

Another part of the third phase involves putting DSRCs in freight trucks that travel on a stretch of Arizona State Route 85 in an industrial area of Phoenix.

"Every time a freight truck stops and starts up again, it emits exhaust and can cause asphalt to buckle," Head said. "By keeping these trucks moving smoothly, we can reduce pollution in nearby communities."

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