How Connected Vehicles work.

Connected vehicles have the potential to transform the way Americans travel through the creation of a safe, interoperable wireless communications network—a system that includes cars, buses, trucks, trains, traffic signals, smart phones, and other devices. In the past, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has focused on helping people survive crashes. Connected vehicle technology will change that paradigm by giving people the tools to avoid crashes.

Why Connected Vehicle Technologies Are Needed 


Connected vehicle technologies aim to tackle some of the biggest challenges in the surface transportation industry—in the areas of safety, mobility, and environment.

 • Safety: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 5.6 million crashes in 2013. The number of fatalities from vehicle crashes is falling but still accounted for 32,719 deaths. Connected vehicle technologies will give all drivers the tools they need to anticipate potential crashes and significantly reduce the number of lives lost each year. 

• Mobility: According to the Texas Transportation Institute, U.S. highway users wasted 6.9 billion hours stuck in traffic in 2014. Connected vehicle mobility applications will enable system users and system operators to make smart choices that reduce travel delay. 

• Environment: According to the Texas Transportation Institute, the total amount of wasted fuel topped 3.1 billion gallons in 2014. Connected vehicle environmental applications will give motorists the real time information they need to make “green” transportation choices. Connected vehicles feature safety warnings that alert drivers of potentially dangerous conditions — impending collisions, icy roads and dangerous curves — before the driver is aware of them. The technology is expected to reduce unimpaired vehicle crashes by 80 percent. 

How Connected Vehicles Will Work 

Safety-related systems for connected vehicle technology will likely be based on dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), a technology similar to WiFi. DSRC is fast, secure, and reliable. Non-safety applications may be based on different types of wireless technology. Cars, trucks, buses, and other vehicles will be able to “talk” to each other with in-vehicle or aftermarket devices that continuously share important safety and mobility information with each other. Connected vehicles can also use wireless communication to “talk” to traffic signals, work zones, toll booths, school zones, and other types of infrastructure. The vehicle information communicated does not identify the driver or vehicle, and technical controls have been put in place to help prevent vehicle tracking and tampering with the system.


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