WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Foxx said to ensure travel safety, more automated vehicles are needed that are “aware” of the environment on the road and can talk to other automated vehicles and infrastructure.
The Transportation Secretary explained his plan to improve safety includes accelerating the schedule for the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s proposal to require vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) technology on new vehicles; developing an expedited test plan on interference with V2V signals; and providing a guarantee that the government’s regulatory environment pushes forward safety innovations.
“The [US Transportation] Department wants to speed the nation toward an era when vehicle safety isn’t just about surviving crashes; it’s about avoiding them,” Foxx said on Wednesday.
On Tuesday night, Amtrak Northeast Regional Train 188, carrying 238 passengers and five crew members from Washington, DC to New York City, derailed and rolled onto its side near Philadelphia. Seven people died and more than 200 were injured as a result of the accident.
Previously, the US Transportation Department released a “Beyond Traffic” study, looking at the demographics and choices facing US transportation over the next 30 years, including an ever-growing US population.
