U.S. DOT Unveils Plans for V2X Deployment
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled plans for the deployment of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology on roadways in the country. Titled, "Saving Lives with Connectivity: A Plan to Accelerate V2X Deployment", the plan "will guide the implementation of vehicle-to-everything technologies across the nation and support USDOT’s commitment to pursue a comprehensive approach to reduce the number of roadway fatalities to zero," according to a press release from the DOT.
V2X is the term used to describe technology, "which enables vehicles to communicate with each other, with other road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, individuals with disabilities, and other vulnerable road users, and with roadside infrastructure, through wirelessly exchanged messages." Using both direct and network forms of communication, V2X provides vehicles with "360-degree awareness, even in situations with poor or obstructed visibility, such as around corners or in dense fog."
The plan is not a legally enforceable document. It is meant to serve as a coordination tool to guide private and public sector stakeholders in achieving certain benchmarks along a specified timeframe. The report notes that clarity and changes in spectrum allocation will be critical to making this technology work. Since the DOT has no regulatory authority in this area, the DOT plans to advocate that the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates spectrum, allocates wireless spectrum specifically for V2X safety applications.
This technology plays a role in the "safe systems" approach within DOT's National Roadway Safety Strategy.