
At the World Congress in Florida, major players in the transportation field discussed and decided that intelligent transportation, that is, cars that are aware of their surroundings, environment, other vehicles, etc., are the future of transportation for safety and economic reasons.
The key to intelligent transportation is "connected vehicles" which communicate with other vehicles, road signs, warnings, and other parts of what is being called the transportation ecosystem. The Department of Transportation estimates that 81% of unimpaired driver-related crashes can be avoided through the use of intelligent transportation.
If this sounds a little like SkyNet to you, you're not alone. However, I, for one, welcome our new robotic overlords, so far as the keep the roads safe.
Source: MarketWatch