Vehicle collision avoidance system and method

A system for providing input to a control system of an operating vehicle, said system comprising a forward-facing signal sensor, said forward facing signal sensor operable to detect transmitted data signals reflecting a presence, relative distance and relative location of a first forward obstruction in or near a travel lane in front of said operating vehicle;

• an on-board vehicle status sensor configured to generate a status signal, wherein said status signal comprises a speed of said operating vehicle;
• a processor configured to receive data from said forward-facing signal sensor and said status sensor and said processor adapted to process said transmitted data and a status operating information signal to determine a separate distance, a speed, and an acceleration or a deceleration of said forward obstruction with respect to said operating vehicle;
• said forward-facing signal sensor further adapted to receive a relay signal from said forward obstruction, said relay signal originating from a source remote from said forward obstruction and relating to a second forward obstruction;
• and
• a rear-signal transmitter, said rear-signal transmitter adapted to transmit information to a following vehicle, said information comprising said status signal and information from said forward-facing signal sensor indicating said presence and relative distance of said first forward obstruction and second forward obstruction;
• and
• a vehicle control signal, wherein said vehicle control signal is generated in response to a collision avoidance algorithm run by said processor that uses data from a forward-facing signal detector, said status operating information and said relay signal in an event that said algorithm determines that a collision is imminent.