Cyberspace as Lifesaver

Auto industry is designing for a time when wireless network keeps roads safe.

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Already, onboard vehicle information systems help drivers find the closest gas station to refuel. "Over the next decade, products and services for connected vehicles will, in fact, change the driving experience as we know it today," Voccola said.

Beyond safety, the technology could be used to relieve congestion, experts say. A smart-highway system could send real-time crash information to vehicles and suggest alternate routes.

But major obstacles remain.

The technology will need to be set up with a wireless system that will enable all vehicles to communicate with one another. Today, General Motors can communicate with its customers through the OnStar system, but not to anyone driving a Ford or a Toyota.

Setting up a national system is expected to be costly, and it is unclear how it would be funded.

Congress could earmark funds to create a national digitally collected roadway network, said Kirk Steudle, director of the Michigan Department of Transportation.