ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Vehicular ad hoc network

Picture a bunch of toy cars driving around on a track. Now imagine each car has a special walkie-talkie that lets it talk to other cars nearby. These walkie-talkies form a network of communication between the cars.

That is what a vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) is like, but with real cars on real roads. Each car has a device that sends and receives messages to and from other cars, and these messages contain important information about the cars and the road ahead.

For example, if a car suddenly stops or there is an accident up ahead, the cars in the area can share that information with each other. This helps prevent more accidents and keeps everyone on the road safe.

VANETs can also help with things like finding the best route to take to avoid traffic, communicating with traffic lights to improve the flow of traffic, and even sharing information about nearby parking spots.

Overall, a vehicular ad hoc network is like a big team of cars working together to make driving safer and more efficient.