Ford Motor Co. is partnering with T-Mobile and others to research using smartphone-based communication technology to help warn drivers of pedestrians and bicyclists — even those hidden from direct view.

The technologies are being demonstrated at the Intelligent Transportation Society of America’s World Congress in Los Angeles this week.

National Highway Transportation Safety Administration data estimates traffic fatalities increased 13% in 2021 versus the prior year, while bicyclist traffic fatalities increased 5%.

The concept is for a smartphone app for pedestrians and others that communicates potential risks to connected Ford vehicles with SYNC providing in-vehicle screen alerts, complementing other technologies such as Ford Co-Pilot360 advanced driver assistance systems.