U.S. Puts V2X Tech in High Gear

The U.S. Department of Transportation said it will speed up vehicle-to-everything technology to enable cars and wireless devices to “communicate” with each other and the infrastructure vehicles pass.

The department’s Federal Highway Administration said its “Saving Lives With Connectivity” plan aims to make road travel safer and efficient while protecting consumer privacy.

A major concern of privacy advocates around increasingly sophisticated vehicle technology has been consumers’ data privacy, as well as their safety, with the fear that bad actors could hack into vehicles to take them over or otherwise sabotage them.

The plan, which the department released to the public last fall for public comment, is also designed to address deaths on the road. The DOT said it will speed up investment, research and activation of V2X technology. The administration said it recently awarded $60 million in grants for deployment of such systems.

“The Department recognizes the potential safety benefits of V2X, and this plan will move us closer to nationwide adoption of this technology,” said Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in a press release.

The National Transportation Safety Board, a federal government agency that investigates civil transportation collisions, praised the move, which it said it’s been advocating since 1995.