GM cars have sixth sense

General Motors has demonstrated a fleet of cars that use vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication to detect the position and movement of other vehicles up to a quarter of a mile away.

The vehicles - equipped with a simple antenna, a computer chip and GPS (Global Positioning System) technology - can anticipate and react to changing driving situations and then instantly warn the drivers with chimes, visual icons and seat vibrations. If the driver doesn’t respond to the alerts, the car can bring itself to a safe stop, avoiding a collision.

“Driving is a very complex task. Knowing where the other guy is and where he’s headed can be as critical as being in control of your own vehicle,” said Larry Burns, GM vice president Research & Development and Planning. “V2V technology gives drivers a sixth sense to know what’s going on around them to help avoid accidents and improve traffic flow.”