There's an intersection in Detroit that screams at motorists. It's the wave of the future, and the company sponsoring it hopes to build screaming intersections across the country.

The Detroit News explains, "Ford Motor Co. unveiled new safety technology Thursday that warns motorists if they are about to run a red light or stop sign."  A "traffic control computer" built into the traffic lights at the intersection uses Wi-Fi to communicate with navigation systems in approaching cars. "It transmits a map of the intersection and tells the car the status of the lights, as well as how long until they change.  If the car's computer determines that driver is about to run a red light, or that there is not sufficient time to make it through the intersection before the signal changes, it warns the driver with visual and auditory cues."

The system currently works only with demonstrator cars Ford has built as part of its testing process, but Ford engineers say that any car with a navigation system can be retro-fitted to work with the "smart intersection." 

Car Domain's Katherine Helmetag has driven a Ford Flex demonstrator through the intersection. "I was deliberately charging the light to see how the car, equipped with a Smart Intersection receiver, would react," she writes. "'Red Light!' The Ford Flex yelled at me as I pushed it toward the intersection. ... I got the verbal assault, got the point, and did my best imitation of a panic stop." 

Motor Trend notes, "Research indicates that 40 percent of all traffic accidents and 20 percent of crash-related fatalities occur in intersections today. It's unknown just how many of those are attributable to driver distraction, but whatever that statistic, it's bound to be increasing." 

Ford isn't alone in the effort. The Detroit News reports, "Smart intersections are one of the technologies being developed by the Crash Avoidance Metrics Partnership, a joint public-private effort aimed at creating common standards for the new technology. In addition to Ford, it includes General Motors Corp., Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co., Daimler AG, the federal government and local road commissions.  Ford is the first company to install a working system, and plans to share the results of its research with the other members of the consortium."

If you're uncomfortable with the idea of talking intersections, just wait. Eventually, the system may drive your car for you. Joe Stinnet, a Ford product design engineer involved in the project, tells Car Domain "It is entirely possible to program the car to stop in these situations, but that would be too much for drivers. The plan is to introduce the system gradually so that drivers can acclimate to it over time."

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