New Jersey drivers may have the ability to communicate with other drivers around them, according to a report released on Jan. 6. In 2014, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that they were rolling out communication technologies that would allow small vehicles, including passenger cars and pickup trucks, to communicate with each other.
The vehicle-to-vehicle, or V2V communication technologies would reportedly allow vehicles to exchange certain safety data in order to avoid crashes. For example, the vehicles would communicate their speed and position 10 times per second. Ultimately, it was demonstrated via research conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation that these technologies could address the issues with multi-vehicle crashes. While the communications being developed can help drivers avoid becoming involved in crashes, the program will not automatically operate the vehicle. The communications will, however, assist a driver with passing other vehicles and making left-hand turns across other lanes of traffic by providing them information on the positions of other vehicles.
It was not known if the V2V communication technologies were being developed to include motorcycles. Because drivers of passenger vehicles are much more likely to be the cause of a crash than motorcyclists, including motorcycles in the applications could reduce serious injuries and fatalities suffered by motorcyclists, especially since the communication application could potentially alert the driver that they are near a motorcycle.
Because motorcyclists are not well-protected, they are likely to suffer serious injuries or death if they become involved in a motorcycle crash. If a negligent driver does cause a motorcyclist to suffer injuries, the injured person could file a personal injury lawsuit against the motorist responsible for the crash. With this lawsuit, the injured person may potentially recover the cost of their medical bills and lost income.
Source: Ultimate Motorcycling, “Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communications for Motorcycles?,” Gary llminen, Jan. 6, 2015