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Transportation and technology are colliding to help prevent vehicles from doing so.

The field of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) is widely believed to be the breakthrough that traffic safety practitioners have been hoping for, the next phase in the drive to reduce injuries and fatalities on the road. ITS can broadly be defined as vehicles that communicate with each other and the roads they travel on.

During a trip this fall to Honda Motor Co. Ltd.'s R&D centre in Japan, we drove in an Accord equipped with a working system that allowed the on-board navigation and audio system to tell the driver what lay ahead.

In one scenario, we approached a blind intersection and, as we pulled away from the stop sign, the navigation screen flashed: "Caution: Oncoming Vehicle." A moment later, a small scooter whizzed past, its electronic transmitter telling our car of its presence and direction. General Motors Corp. has a system in development that identifies vehicles in the blind spot through an amber symbol in the rear mirror on the appropriate side.

The Japanese government and all vehicle manufacturers have come to agreement on a common frequency for VICS (vehicle information communication system). It delivers traffic and travel information to drivers and makes provision for vehicles by silently sending and receiving information and warnings from others in close proximity.

This constant flow of information becomes part of a real-time database that can prevent crashes.

VICS is real and has been launched in major metropolitan areas and main expressways throughout Japan.

We already have cars that can automatically maintain a set distance behind the vehicle in front and some that apply the brakes to avoid a crash. We have systems that sound an audible warning or cause the steering wheel to vibrate should you venture outside your lane without using the turn signal.

We have satellite radio and either in-vehicle or hand-held GPS navigation systems that alert a driver to traffic congestion and alternate routes. The next step is to equip the roads to speak for themselves. New pavement would include electronic and magnetic sensors, which communicate with vehicles, and transmitters, which can report on "real-time" traffic information.

This may seem like the stuff of science fiction, but it is happening. More than 4,000 transportation and technology experts gathered in San Francisco last month for the annual ITS World Congress to share what they have learned and show off what they have developed.

Some of the gadgets include:

Collision avoidance systems, which rely on radar or lasers to detect all vehicles, whether they're equipped with collision avoidance technology or not.

Vehicles that can communicate with traffic signals, sensors embedded in roads, radar devices and roadside sensors.

Sensors that can show drivers the colour of the traffic light at the next intersection, tell them when it will change and display average traffic speeds. They can even tell drivers nearing a light-rail crossing when the next train is due to pass.

Navigation systems that will not only map the quickest route and tell drivers how long it will take to reach their destination, but will help them find a parking space.

Technology that would allow buses to steer themselves using magnets in the roadway, like a light-rail system without tracks, stopping at loading platforms and staying in their assigned lanes.

Devices that read traffic speeds and detect oncoming vehicles at an intersection and determines when it's safe to make a left turn, using an illuminated sign at the intersection to communicate with drivers.

We've tried education, belts and bags, ABS and stability control. The next step is using technology to save drivers from themselves.

globeauto@globeandmail.com