_______Talking cars to hit the roads soon_______

Melbourne: Talking cars? Well, they could soon be a reality, for scientists have developed a radio-based technology that allows cars to "talk" to each other, analysing potential accidents and advising the driver.

A team in Australia has developed the radio technology which it claims will provide warnings to drivers of potential intersection crashes, rear-end collisions and lane drift -- it could be available in everyday vehicles "as soon as 2012".

And, according to scientists, the technology will also enable traffic flow management and optimise selection of route for drivers, reducing the costs of traffic congestion as well as greenhouse emissions.

Lead scientist professor Alex Grant of UniSA Institute for Telecommunications Research said that the radio technology combines GPS and Wi-Fi like communications to enable vehicles to talk to each other effectively.

"On board processing units assess the risk of an accident and provide advice to the driver. This technology essentially equips vehicles with the ability to see around corners and to predict and avoid dangerous situations," he said.