Any Los Angeles car accident lawyer would agree that one of the reasons for the reduction in car accident fatalities in California has been the advanced safety technology in so many automobiles now. General Motors is the process of developing a new auto safety device that could reduce the risk of accidents by as much as 81%, or so the company claims.

The technology was recently presented at the Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress in Orlando. The device is a portable one that helps communicate with similar devices in other cars in the vicinity. These devices can share information with each other about driver behavior and other factors, thereby alerting motorists in the neighborhood, and reducing the risk of collisions.

The device uses Dedicated Short-Range Communications technology to transfer data with other devices. The company is currently testing the technology in two forms. One is in the form of a transponder, and the other in the form of a smart phone app that can be linked to the display unit in the car.

The device warns motorists about factors that increase the risk of accidents, like slowing down of vehicles ahead. The device also warns about prevailing traffic conditions that increase the risks of an accident, like steep curves, wet and slippery roads, or even upcoming signs. The device can also direct information from the other safety systems in the vehicle, to other cars. For instance, when a driver activates the electronic stability control system, the device in his car can send that information to other motorists in the area, thereby possibly preventing a multi-vehicle accident situation.

It's not just motorists who would benefit from the technology. General Motors believes that pedestrians and bicyclists, who can download the app on their smart phones, can also prevent accidents. The data could be transmitted to motorists in the neighborhood, who could then look out for pedestrians and bicyclists based on the data that the device receives.