As soon as localization on the order of centimeters can be achieved, Wilson says, PASS will be able to issue a warning in any type of weather when a driver is in danger of leaving the lane. "Several thousand fatal accidents could then be avoided in North America alone," he says, "since driver fatigue is a critical safety problem on the long, straight roads common in many parts of North America."
PASS will also be able to compare the course of the vehicle in question with the statistically measured course of vehicles that have driven before it. "If the driver deviates from the average course," Wilson says, "this may be evidence of an obstacle or a change in the course of the road. This statistical evaluation in turn makes it possible to alert the driver of a potential problem. This is particularly helpful when driving along roads so familiar that a change in their pattern might go unnoticed due to sheer habit."
Wilson maintains that, as soon as the communication time the time in which the data is sent from the vehicle to the central server, processed there and sent back can be reduced to mere seconds and localization made accurate to within centimeters, "It will become possible to even avoid crashes." In this respect, he believes, "PASS represents a milestone on the road to greater driving safety."