Learn More About Automated Highway Systems - Future Technology

Imagine that you're cruising down the freeway at 120 miles an hour. It's foggy and the driver of the vehicle in the next lane over is apparently fallen asleep; however you're not worried. As a matter of fact, you are not even watching the road and maybe sleeping yourself. Does this sound crazy to you? Actually, you're quite safe! This is because you're driving a computer equipped smart car on the next century's automated highway systems or AHS. AHS, according to its proponents, will eliminate as much as 1.2 million crashes per year, save thousands of lives and save $150 billion in annual economic losses due to car crashes.

As most people are already aware cars today come equipped with onboard computers that control everything from braking to fuel economy and engine performance functions. With the addition of AHS information can be passed between vehicle computers from one car to another and from the highway or road system itself to individual cars. These computers will then adjust according to road and traffic conditions and control your car is steering, braking and general navigation.

According to the US DOT there were 54,632 highway vehicle deaths in the year 2008 alone. Saving the lives, while extremely important, is only one element of what the future technology of automated highway systems can provide. Current highways and interstates were first built well before there were as many vehicles and drivers as there are today. Congestion is an increasingly normal part of highway commuting and will only grow worse as time progresses. Automated highway systems provide the benefit of allowing cars to be controlled and driven at high rates of speed without all of the stop and go traffic that is usually attributed to human error. This means that automated highway systems can effectively reduce or eliminate current congestion and traffic issues on highways and interstates making commutes bearable once again.

This sort of technology was displayed in the Will Smith movie iRobot as cars were guided to their destinations at extremely high rates of speed with no human interaction. Automated highway system technology may be the best real solution yet to solving America's current traffic and congestion issues as well as providing a safer commute to all who use the highway and interstate systems. Although it is unlikely that this technology will be deployed on smaller side roads, at least in the foreseeable future, pilot program have already been successful guiding multiple unmanned vehicles at high rates of speed down test courses. Look for automated highway systems in your future.