VAG Group Leading The Way In Road Safety
The Volkswagen Group have just announced that from 2019, all the brands in the Volkswagen Group will use the WLANp standard to improve road safety. With this, cars will be able to communicate through WLANp. This knowledge sharing will help with information regarding traffic flow, roadworks and accidents. As well as this, it may help with emergency vehicles, construction vehicles and traffic infrastructure such as traffic lights.
What is WLANp?
WLANp standard has been rigorously tested as a technology that enables cars to communicate with each other and their environment. WLANp is a wireless communication protocol that meets the standards set by Europe for vehicular communication. It is an improved standard based on IEEE 802.11p.
Put simply; this communication system will allow and improve vehicle to vehicle communication as well as vehicle to environment communication.
Why is the Volkswagen Group adopting WLANp?
By adopting WLANp on all of their brands from 2019 shows an extensive commitment to improving road safety. The WLANp will be standard equipment on all vehicles creating a network of cars and environments which can help to improve road safety across the whole of Europe.
It is believed that the system will improve road safety and traffic flow, as relevant information will be delivered to the car in milliseconds based on the environment within a 500-metre radius. The technology can also help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and reduce fuel consumption.
Ultimately, the focus of VAG Group adopting WLANp is to help them become closer to their Vision Zero mission. Vision Zero is an objective of accident-free driving.
Why is WLANp important?
With the Volkswagen Group being such an extensive manufacturer covering multiple brands, it makes an autonomous system of WLANp more feasible. With many cars (all within the VAG Group) adopting WLANp, it is likely to encourage other manufacturers to join. This makes the vision of accident-free driving much easier to implement. By Volkswagen Group committing such as bold and ambitious feat, other brands can follow suit without risk.
WLANp has already been extensively tested, especially across fleet vehicles, it is a proven standard which should make it easy for the Volkswagen Group to implement next year. What remains to be seen is which other manufacturers will follow suit.