The US government is to begin taking steps to introduce cars that 'talk' to each other on the roads. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced it will begin taking steps to enable the vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology.

The technology would improve safety by allowing vehicles to "talk" to each other and avoid crashes by exchanging basic safety information - such as speed and position, 10-times per second.

"By helping drivers avoid crashes, this technology will play a key role in improving the way people get where they need to go while ensuring that the US remains the leader in the global automotive industry" said US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

Research indicates that safety applications using the V2V technology can address a large majority of crashes involving two or more motor vehicles.

Cars will share information, as much as 10-times per second

With safety data such as speed and location flowing from nearby vehicles, these can identify risks and provide drivers with warnings to avoid other vehicles.

These safety applications have already been demonstrated with drivers under both real-world and controlled test conditions.

The US Department of Transportation says the models currently being developed give warnings to drivers, but do not automatically operate any vehicle or its systems, such as braking or steering.

Warnings will be issued to drivers

It adds that the V2V technology does not involve exchanging or recording personal data or tracking vehicle movements. "The information sent between vehicles does not identify those vehicles, but merely contains basic safety data" it says.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is finalising its analysis of the data gathered as part of its year-long pilot program, and is set to publish a research report on V2V technology for public consultation in the coming weeks.