Talking vehicles make driving cooperative

The concept of cooperative driving goes back to the idea of automated highways. The first ever proposal for an automated highway system, presented by General Motors in the 1960s, was based on the idea of car front wheels being automatically positioned in response to signals picked up by tuned coils mounted on the front of the car. Today, cooperative driving is all about foresighted driving - the early detection of hazards and the timely provision of information to support the driver. This is achieved by communication-based systems that extend the driver's horizon beyond their field of view and warn of incidents and adverse conditions ahead, leading to higher situational awareness. The aim is to contribute to safe and efficient mobility by enabling drivers to slow down early enough and by increasing the headway distance between vehicles.