Techno-solution to nasty weather commute: Column

• Engineers are quietly at work on technologies that could give drivers the upper hand in bad weather.
• Sooner than you might expect%2C powerful sensors will allow cars to take over more features of driving.
• Even when we aren%27t on the road%2C autonomous vehicles will influence many decisions we make.

It's always the other guy, right? Whether freezing rain is laying down a layer of black ice or the ever-vague wintry mix is making for a treacherous drive, someone in traffic next to you probably isn't paying enough attention to the dangerous conditions. And this comes from someone who navigates 40 miles of I-95 every day.

Fortunately, engineers are quietly at work on technologies that could give drivers the upper hand in bad weather, by empowering us with smarter vehicles. Sensors enable cars to "see" potential hazards on the road, apply the brakes when a car is approaching another vehicle or object too quickly, and many other features that will minimize roadway dangers. Sooner than you might expect, these powerful sensors will allow cars to take over more features of driving, especially in hazardous conditions. Poor weather and heavy congestion will no longer have you so worried about how that other guy is driving.

Already, these technologies are jumping from research labs to roadways. At the 2014 International CES, automakers showcased groundbreaking technologies such as parking assist, collision avoidance and emergency braking. Across the auto industry, 2014 and 2015 models feature driverless technology, from self-parking to lane assist to adaptive cruise control. And Google's self-driving cars have already been test-driven more than 435,000 miles without a single accident.

Recognizing this sea change, federal agencies are crafting new policies that advance driverless car technologies, while maintaining the highest roadway safety. The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Highway Safety Administration recently approved vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) systems that will allow our cars to "talk" to each other, better avoiding collisions. Very soon, manufacturers will be able to pull these individual, complex solutions into a holistic experience – one that will forever change how we travel.

Even when we aren't on the road, autonomous vehicles will influence many decisions we make. Everything from where we live to how our cities will be designed could be radically adjusted to make life more efficient and convenient. Fewer people will actually own cars, as vehicles could easily be shared. Your car could drop you off at work, drive to pick someone else up for a mid-morning meeting, come back to get you for a lunch date, pick up the kids from school, and then return to drive you home at the end of the day. Highways will become smaller since driverless cars will need less room to maneuver, cutting down on traffic and congestion.

Our cities will also become smarter as our cars are able to interact with the buildings and roadways around them. For instance, cars will be able to automatically detect nearby open parking spaces. While this sounds incredible, smart cities and smart cars are not too far away, and are already here in different ways. IBM has been leading the charge in working to create smarter cities across the globe, developing communities that are more connected, better for the environment, and more in tune with our needs and safety.

Driverless cars and smarter infrastructure are in the works around the world, as innovators strive to improve our lives and create safer communities for all of us. In another generation, three inches of snow falling on Atlanta or a blizzard blowing across I-80 might hardly merit a mention on the local weather channel, let alone national news. With the right technology, we will be able to face even the worst storms with confidence. Even if that guy in the next car over isn't paying any attention to the road.

Shawn DuBravac is the chief economist and senior director of research for the Consumer Electronics Association.

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