The 22nd International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles held near Washington, DC in June included vehicles which communicate with other vehicles, i.e. “vehicle-to-vehicle communication”.  For example, as shown below, a vehicle approaching an intersection can sense other vehicles approaching the same intersection, forecast potential conflicts, and respond to them—helping vehicles which are not within eye-sight of each other.

Source: BMW

According to an article in the Detroit Free Press, the first vehicle can be programmed with one or more of a range of responses in order to reduce the likelihood of the collision that could occur if, say, any of the vehicles’ drivers were to ignore existing traffic lights or stop signs:

“Some offerings went beyond just warning drivers to assisting them in taking evasive action as well — though most stopped short of fully automated responses. German-based supplier Continental, for example, displayed a car equipped with sensors that triggered a special steering system that activated when a collision was imminent, giving drivers who wouldn’t have the strength to pull the wheel hard enough the extra help to avoid the problem.”

This ability to “see” vehicles which are not in sight gives vehicle-to-vehicle communication an advantage over current avoidance systems included in some vehicles that sense objects within line-of-sight which may pose a threat.