In an accident, a deploying airbag asks for and gets Vehicle Identification Numbers of surrounding vehicles.

Each vehicle's airbag(s) could come equipped with a crash activated two- way radio with two interrelated functions.

1) in the event of airbag deployment it sends out a "who is here? I've just deployed, le'mme jot down your digits, 'k?" signal. AKA "WIH IJDLJDYDK" (presumably these chipsets will be manufactured in Bosnia.)

2) in the event of being near (say 25 meters?)a deploying bag, the device answers the above question with "I'm vin #4567H2345J23, bummer 'bout your accident, dude" (or the equivalent hexadecimal code)

Then when you submit your insurance claim you also have the documentation from the chip in the airbag and they can call up the insurers/owners of the other cars and hash it out along with the various accident reports.

Great for nabbing non-premeditated hit and run drivers, drunks and reluctant witnesses. Also good for establishing who was where in reconstructing the scene, especially if there is some basic directional data captured at the same time. Since it is tied to the deployment of the Airbag, it is restricted to just the more serious events.

I think the outgoing message might need to have a Vehicle identification Number in it as well to prevent random snooping pings of the "I wonder who is here at the shopping mall today, let's troll the parking lot pinging" type. The vehicle being pinged could get a signal that says "check the log for the latest "WIH IJDLJDYDK" signal history and instructions for researching who sent it.
-- DadManWalking, Feb 11 2004

Communicating Cars http://www.halfbake...ommunicating_20Cars
tangentially related idea by [flyfast], this one was for relaying street congestion info [krelnik, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

VIN rules for USA (USA USA...whatever) http://www.verifyvin.com/vin_detail.html
On the internet no one knows you are a dog. On the highways it is a different matter. [DadManWalking, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

I wouldn't advise actually putting it in the airbag, but OK.
-- half, Feb 11 2004


I like it.
-- krelnik, Feb 11 2004


As long as it included a firewall to stop people launching DoS attacks on your airbag.
-- kropotkin, Feb 11 2004


"All your wreck are belong to us!"
-- Letsbuildafort, Feb 11 2004


ok, yes,[half] not inside the airbag but somewhere back in that bit of kit that anchors and powers it...

I forgot to mention fembots in the details. They can use this too.
-- DadManWalking, Feb 11 2004


//As long as it included a firewall to stop people launching DoS attacks on your airbag.// -[kropotkin]

I thought cars came with firewalls but did not know they were for Driving on Sidewalk attacks. Remind me to stay off the sidewalks when you are around.
-- DadManWalking, Feb 11 2004


So how does this distinguish between other accident- mates, and nearby unrelated autos? You might run in to illegal search laws, at least in the USA. If it depends on other cars' airbags deploying, that won't work. My brother hit another car head on at about 6 mph a piece. His airbag popped, the other one didn't. And you'd have to make sure to only hit other cars with the system. I like the idea, but not the potential for implementation. We'd have to start spending the extra cash now to get this in our cars, for real benefit in about 20 years from now, when the ratio of cars with to cars without is good enough for regular use.
-- oxen crossing, Feb 12 2004


Hey [oxen crossing]

Good questions...

1) how to distinguish between accident-mates and non (great term btw)? it doesn't. it just gets the raw census data about the cars in the vicinity. We let humans sort out what it means. The placement of "non involved" cars even parked ones could influence the settlement and adjudication as they effect sight lines and might contain witnesses.

2) Illegal search laws. Yeah I was wondering about them. The Supreme Court (US) seems to be loosing interest in such niceties but I think, even still, you are legally obliged to bear witness if you have seen an accident. And lend aid if you can. This just automates the witness identification/scene detail gathering process.

3) It does not depend on all the airbags deploying. Just any one bag going off sends out the "Who all is here" message and then that triggers the "me!" message (and the "who asked" line in the log.)

4) yes it is understood that it would take a while for the prevalence to make it worthwhile. But the same is true of common bumper heights and was true for basic controls in cars being the same from car to car. As the rolling stock is replaced (20 years sounds right) this feature would be more and more valuable. The first car with this would be useless (unless it got stuck in the assembly line and got hit by the second!)

I plan on driving for the next 30 years or so and the kid won't be behind the wheel for 16 or so... can we sign you up?
-- DadManWalking, Feb 12 2004


Yeah, sure. My only hesitation now is the privacy thing. I have no knowledge of any legal requirement to bear witness either, although I do whenever I see any accident, just to be nice, and for karmic justice (which I don't believe in, but what the heck). As they say, work it out in production.
-- oxen crossing, Feb 12 2004


Ok Privacy... I don't think we have it now... if you go an look at your car's windshield on the driver's side there is a place to look through and down to see the VIN. It is supposed to stay visible. (see link). Plus the plates are supposed to be unobscured as well.
-- DadManWalking, Feb 12 2004



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