WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) plans to test vehicle-to-vehicle communications technologies in six different cities. The DOT said it plans to hold the first Driver Acceptance Clinic, which is designed to help the DOT learn how drivers respond to these new technologies, in Brooklyn, Mich., in August. The other five cities involved in the test will include Minneapolis, Orlando, Fla., Blacksburg, Va., Dallas, and San Francisco.

At each event, the DOT plans to recruit around 100 drivers from the local area. The actual testing of approximately 24 vehicles at each event will take place in a controlled setting designed to simulate actual roadways. Each vehicle will be equipped with dedicated short-range-communications-based safety applications.

During the testing, DOT researchers will measure how drivers respond to in-car collision warnings, “do not pass” alerts, warnings of a vehicle stopped ahead suddenly, and other types of in-vehicle safety messages.

The DOT said it plans to deploy “thousands” of wirelessly connected vehicles in the fall of 2012 at a yet-to-be-determined location.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation