The Department of Transportation (DOT) is looking to accelerate the rollout of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology.

V2X allows vehicles to communicate wirelessly, and the safety benefits have long been discussed, but now the transportation department has made a move to speed up its deployment by outlining a roadmap in an official document titled: “Saving Lives with Connectivity.”

The plan is intended to guide the implementation of V2X across the U.S., aiming to play a key role in supporting the DOT campaign to reduce road fatalities.

“The department has reached a key milestone today in laying out a national plan for the transportation industry that has the power to save lives and transform the way we travel,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

“The Department recognizes the potential safety benefits of V2X, and this plan will move us closer to nationwide adoption of this technology.” 

With V2X, cars can communicate with each other and other road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists, as well as roadside infrastructure, through wirelessly exchanged messages.

This would allow the sharing of information that could have a dramatic effect on improving road safety, including the location and actions of vehicles, updates on traffic and even prevailing conditions, such as the where roadworks are sited or whether poor weather is imminent.