Experts predict C-V2X technology will slash traffic fatalities by 80%

KENNESAW, Ga. - As you hit the road for the holidays, there's always a concern about accidents and bad drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 40,000 people lose their lives on the roads every year.

Many say technology could be the driving force to keeping you safer behind the wheel. In 12 to 15 years, the majority of the cars in the U.S. may have C-V2X, or cellular vehicle to everything communications.

"It's cars talking to each other so they don't hit each other," said Dr. Billy Kihei, an Assistant Professor at Kennesaw State University.

Dr. Kihei works in KSU's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He says this technology has the potential to dramatically cut down on crashes.

"It will result in addressing up to 80-percent of unimpaired accidents in the U.S." said Dr. Kihei.

Kihei says that is a giant step forward when it comes to safety. But, it's still more than a decade down the road. So, what can be done to fill the gap while waiting for that new technology?

He's researching a system that could sense with C-V2X, giving the communication system radar-like capabilities.

The concept is to use the signal from the C-V2X to passively sense the surrounding environment, meaning it can see the other cars even though it can't communicate with them.

"Using just an antenna that listens 360 degrees around. Maybe they're texting and driving. Their car is talking, but no one is listening, but the technology we're working on will be listening with them," said Dr. Kihei.

Dr. Kihei says many of the newer cars have sophisticated safety equipment, but this goes beyond that.

"A lot of the autonomous vehicles, they have cameras  that look all around and then try to piece all that together. You can do this with radio frequency, you can do this around corners, over hills, through vegetation. This technology could really make a dent in reducing fatalities on the roadways," said Dr. Kihei.