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MIS to help test connected vehicle technology

About 100 people will “start their engines,” at the Michigan International Speedway this week. But it won’t be for a race. The MIS is lending its track to the U.S. Department of Transportation to test vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems.

Connected vehicle technology allows cars to communicate with other cars and the road.

Devices installed in a car warn a driver that a crash is imminent or that they’re about to run a red light.

The DOT has recruited about 100 people to take part in the first of six "Driver Acceptance Clinics," around the country, to find out how drivers respond to the warnings.

The speedway has been altered for the clinic, with temporary traffic signals installed to traffic mimic city streets and roads.

The clinics will help the Department of Transportation decide whether to require automakers to install connected vehicle technology in vehicles.

 

 

Tracy Samilton covers energy and transportation, including the auto industry and the business response to climate change for Michigan Public. She began her career at Michigan Public as an intern, where she was promptly “bitten by the radio bug,” and never recovered.