Ford is working on a new technology that could see brake lights illuminated on the dashboard of a following car. This would allow the braking car to be seen even from around a bend or behind other traffic, allowing cars behind to react quicker.
In emergency braking situations, the experimental Electronic Brake Light transmits a wireless signal to illuminate a dashboard light in cars that might not see a slowing car ahead. This early warning system could enable drivers following behind to brake earlier and potentially mitigate or avoid a collision.
Ford’s Paul Mascarenas explained: “Car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communications represent one of the next major advancements in vehicle safety.
“Ford is committed to further real-world testing here and around the world with the goal of implementation in the foreseeable future.”
FOUR-YEAR JOINT INDUSTRY PROJECT
The technology is one of 20 potential future systems Ford tested as part of Safe Intelligent Mobility at Testfield Germany, a four-year joint industry research project.
Ford also investigated a Public Traffic Management system, which provides an exact traffic prognosis based on comprehensive information.
This includes identifying likely traffic scenarios and their impact at the point in the journey when they are encountered rather than at the point of departure.
In-car internet access could also enable drivers to receive information about free parking spaces or check traffic hotspots by receiving up-to-date pictures from traffic cameras. - Star Motoring