As part of its efforts to increase the safety of its vehicles, Toyota has announced that starting in 2021, in the US, Toyota and Lexus vehicles will literally be be able to talk to each other. In 2021, Toyota will start adding Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) systems on vehicles, with the goal of adding it to most of its lineup by the mid-2020s.
“By allowing vehicles’ intelligent systems to collaborate more broadly and effectively through DSRC technology, we can help drivers realize a future with zero fatalities from crashes, better traffic flow and less congestion,” said Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota Motor North America (TMNA).
DSRC transmissions enable vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications. DSRC technology supports the broadcast of precise anonymized vehicle information several times per second, including location, speed and acceleration. This information can be used by other DSRC-enabled vehicles and devices to help drivers prevent collisions. Communication can also be enabled to provide helpful real-time information to drivers, such as potential hazards, slow or stopped vehicles ahead, or signals, signs, and road conditions that may be difficult to see.
DSRC communicates using 7 channels of the 5.9 GHz spectrum band and the technology does not require a cellular or data network.
Japan is ahead of the curve here, since Toyota starting selling vehicles with the DSRC technology in 2015. Toyota says that there are more than 100,000 DSRC-equipped Toyota and Lexus vehicles now on the road in Japan.
Source: Toyota
