intervehicle

Intervehicle refers to the interactions between vehicles within transportation systems, encompassing both physical dynamics on the road and informational exchanges between vehicles and infrastructure. The term is used to describe how vehicles influence each other’s motion and how data sharing can enable coordinated behavior. In practice, intervehicle activities span traditional traffic flow phenomena as well as modern connected and automated mobility technologies.

In traffic engineering, intervehicle dynamics analyze how speed, spacing, and acceleration propagate through a line of vehicles, affecting capacity and stability. Intervehicle communication (IVC) or intervehicle signaling covers the wireless exchange of data such as position, velocity, acceleration, heading, and intended maneuvers to support cooperative behavior among vehicles and with infrastructure.

Applications include cooperative adaptive cruise control, platooning, intersection safety, automated lane merging, and dynamic routing. By aggregating timely data from multiple vehicles, intervehicle systems can anticipate conflicts earlier, smooth traffic flow, and reduce energy consumption and emissions while improving safety in mixed traffic environments.

Challenges include ensuring low latency and high reliability, protecting privacy and security, and achieving cross‑manufacturer interoperability. Standards efforts address communication protocols, data formats, timing requirements, and safety assurance cases. Real‑world deployment faces scalability, weather, and sensor fusion considerations, as well as regulatory approval and public acceptance.

See also: vehicle-to-vehicle communication, cooperative adaptive cruise control, vehicle-to-everything.