Subject: [NEXTEL-1] FCC Sets Aside Smart Highway Frequencies

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2003 19:42:48 -0500

FCC Sets Aside Smart Highway Frequencies

By JONATHAN D. SALANT
Associated Press Writer
December 17, 2003, 6:26 PM EST

WASHINGTON -- A flashing light in your car lets you know it's safe to change
lanes. An alarm warns you at an intersection that another driver is speeding
through.  A beeping sound tells you you're getting too close to the motorist in
front of you.
The information would be broadcast to you from sensors along the highway over
special frequencies that no one else could use.
Though the technology is still five to 10 years away, the Federal Communications
Commission on Wednesday set aside an area of broadcast spectrum to transmit
those signals, rather than have them share space with electronic toll sensors,
cell phones and garage door openers.

The idea is to reduce the 6 million crashes that occur each year on U.S.
highways, which kill 42,000 people and cost more than $230 billion, according to
the Transportation Department.

"We're making it safer for everyone who relies on the roads," FCC Commissioner
Kathleen Abernathy said. "There were a couple of cars ahead of me this morning
that would have used this collision avoidance system."

The warnings could be received within 100 yards of the transmitters, and thus
are only for communications between vehicles or between a vehicle and a sensor
along the road.

"This new radio spectrum will help prevent crashes, bring important real-time
information into cars and let drivers concentrate on driving," Transportation
Secretary Norman Y. Mineta said.

Transportation Department officials are testing the technology at an
intersection in McLean, Va., where sensors can automatically warn a motorist
when another car is approaching, helping to avoid collisions.
Not everyone is enthusiastic about the technology, however.

"A lot of these systems are based on the idea that if you could simply warn
drivers in advance of an impending crash, the driver could take action to
prevent the crash," said Russ Rader, a spokesman for the industry-funded
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "But drivers don't always do the right
thing. They don't take the appropriate action. Warning them ahead of time has no
benefit."

Mineta said the new frequencies also could be used at railroad grade crossings,
and to allow emergency vehicles to control traffic signals.
http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-fcc-smart-highways,0,2729975.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

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