THE latest development in road-safety technology comes in the form of cars that talk to each other. Just as laser developments stop mindless drivers wandering between traffic lanes and radar beams activate the brakes if a car is about to become involved in a rear-end shunt, new satellite navigation technology is set to make its way into mass-produced cars that will "talk" to each other.

General Motors . . . who sell Opel, Saab, Chevrolet and Cadilllac here . . . have developed a dashboard device that alerts drivers of impending accidents. A demonstration of this V2V . . . vehicle to vehicle . . . technology has been given to Department of Transport officials and UK and Irish press. The system allows cars to communicate with each other at distances of up to 300 yards, even if other vehicles are around a corner. It sounds an alarm if two vehicles are on a collision course which gives vital seconds to drivers to take action.

V2V uses satellite navigation data to plot the exact position of a car. The information is relayed by a wireless network to other vehicles within range and warns drivers if they are converging dangerously by sounds, flashing lights and vibrations in the driver's seat. The system can also be programmed to start braking in critical situations, although the driver will remain in overall control of the vehicle at all times.

This type of wireless internet technology is already in use in homes and businesses. GM say the technology is fully operational and cheap . . .

only about 400 . . . but it will be a few years before it is fitted to vehicles coming off the production line. The German government has already invested 420m in a V2V trial of 500,000 vehicles in Frankfurt. GM say the technology should reduce the number of collisions, prevent motorway pile-ups and make blindspots a thing of the past.

Andrew Marshall of GM's Vauxhall says V2V gives vehicles a sixth sense. "The vehicle looks around and asks itself:

'Where am I and where is everybody else?' It gets its answer via wifi just like millions of computer users.

A warning system minimises the danger of a driver overtaking another vehicle in their vehicle's blindspot. It can also help prevent rear-end collisions.

The wifi system worked successfully in trials on a number of GM cars.

Marshall said GM based the technology on inexpensive and proven components so it would be cost effective to make it standard in most vehicles.

"Our system is very affordable and could potentially be used in every vehicle class." He added that the software is secure against computer hackers.