New Car Technology To Prevent Accidents, Traffic Backups

Future Of Automobile Safety On Display At Manhattan's Javits Center
Vehicles Will Communicate With Each Other To Prevent Accidents, Traffic Backups

Other Features: Gaze Detection That Registers Facial & Optical Positions

NEW YORK (CBS) ― Every year, more than 40,000 people are killed in car accidents nationwide. On Monday, high-tech companies from around the world displayed the future of cars at an automobile technology convention in Manhattan.

Thousands of people lined the streets in front of the Jacob Javits Center to get a peek at the future. On display were cars that detect pedestrians about to be hit and even automatically stop before a crash.

CBS 2's Cindy Hsu took a test ride in a Mercedes-Benz, that'll do all sorts of things to protect passengers when it senses a potential accident or abrupt stop.

"The windows will roll up, if we had the sunroof open the sunroof would close," said Gordon Peredo with Mercedes-Benz. Even the seatbelts will tighten up.

At about 40 miles an hour, we tried to run a red light, and the car kept warning us to stop. When we wouldn't, it "automatically" hit the brakes.

Inside the Javits, companies unveiled their latest Intelligent Transportation Systems, allowing vehicles to communicate with each other and with drivers, letting them know about upcoming sharp turns, accidents and other dangers.

Another safety system is called gaze detection, where you have a camera mounted in your car that registers where your face is positioned and exactly where your eyes are looking.

The car has a radar that will detect anything in your way, so if a child runs out in front of your car and your eyes are elsewhere, the system will alert you.

"These vehicles are designed not to crash, and today where we have 42,000 people killed on our highways, this is a technology that we think shows great value," said Patrick McGowan with the World Congress Technology Demonstration.

Some of the other incredible features on display were cars with 200 sensors used to help reduce traffic – they'll figure out the shortest ways to get to destinations, avoiding accidents and backups that would cause traffic tie-ups.

The top car manufacturers have been working on this technology for years, and say once it's deployed throughout the country countless lives will be saved. Car industry officials say before they can roll out the technology, Congress needs to finance the radios and sensors that will be required throughout the country to create the communication network. Next year, Congress will be debating the issue, when the Highway Bill is up for reauthorization.