Groups study benefits of talking cars; The aim is to have cars communicate with part of the road infrastructure.(Technology)

Byline: Tim Moran

Your car talks to you. It uses gauges, warning lights and sometimes a computer-generated voice to make your drive smoother and safer.

What if it could talk to the road around it, too?

A number of studies around the globe are exploring that possibility. Scientists are trying to find out whether cars of the future could swap information with traffic lights, road-construction sites and other parts of the road infrastructure. They even have a nickname: V2I for vehicle to infrastructure.

For example, a car might pick up signals and warn the driver that a green traffic light up ahead is about to turn yellow or that a road crew is making repairs around the next curve.

Everyone in the industry agrees that safer roads are desirable.

In addition, carmakers have a monetary reason to promote smoother-flowing traffic.

Densely populated cities from Berlin to Beijing face gridlock. If traffic doesn't move, that …