Vehicles may be equipped with advanced sensor technology and machine learning algorithms that can predict weather disasters in real-time by the time 2030 rolls around. 

That is according to the International Drivers Association, which said in a news release that new vehicles are expected to be equipped with this technology within the next six years, delivering personal weather forecasting predictions such as imminent flood warnings or driving through a windy highway, for example. 

“Bridging the gap between vehicular technology and meteorology holds massive potential in increasing road safety,” said Julianna Marshall, an expert from the International Drivers Association, in a statement. “Imagine your car alerting you or diverting you from a road that’s about to be flooded or a bridge at risk of collapsing due to strong winds — that’s a revolution we’re keenly looking forward to.”

The groundwork for this type of technology includes key factors such as advanced sensor technology for measurement purposes (atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity), machine learning and artificial intelligence to analyze complex weather patterns and provide predictions, and connected vehicles and the Internet of Things (loT) to receive and share data. 

Marshall also noted that, although it might be possible to have access to a vehicle built with weather prediction technology, that option will become imperative by 2030.

“Such tech-integrated cars will make driving during inclement weather conditions safer while enhancing the overall travel experience,” he added. “Weather prediction in cars can save hundreds of lives annually by minimizing weather-related accidents.”

Be prepared, electric vehicles are not the only disruptive, evolutionary force to hit the automotive industry: machine learning, AI, connected vehicle technology and loT are highly likely to have an impact on vehicles in the future as well.