Automakers are ignoring the simple solution to the rise of traffic deaths

The government thinks there's a high-tech fix to the rise of traffic fatalities, but the answer is much simpler. | Image: Department of Transportation

Ford announced today that it's exploring new smartphone-based communications technology" to warn drivers about pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users that may be hidden from their view. This follows a request for information from the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) on the possibility of using similar communication technology as warning systems for both drivers and [vulnerable road users]."

The underlying message of both of these announcements is that technology can help slow or even reserve the dramatic rise in road deaths in the US. Traffic fatalities hit a 20-year high in early 2022, with officials blaming the pandemic for causing more reckless driving behavior. And technology, that amorphous panacea to so...

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