Vehicle communication a target by early 2017

The US Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says it wants new US cars and light trucks to be able to communicate with each other.

"Vehicle-to-vehicle technology represents the next generation of auto safety improvements, building on the life-saving achievements we've already seen with safety belts and air bags," said US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx when announcing the decision on Monday.

At present, the technology will only be able to gathering speed, position, and direction information about vehicles within a few hundred feet. The systems won't be able to automatically kick in any defensive maneuvers such as braking or steering.

The Auto Alliance, issuing a statement on Monday, is generally in support of the V2V policy. They did, however, express some reservations.

"What remains to be addressed is security and privacy," the Alliance wrote, "along with consumer acceptance, affordability, achieving the critical mass to enable the 'network effect' and establishment of the necessary legal and regulatory framework."

What is hoped is that such technology would be in place by early 2017.