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As Austin tests connected cars technology, study warns it could gridlock entire cities

Hacking just 10% of connected cars during rush hour would slow things down enough to stop emergency vehicles from getting around.

Any connection to the internet leaves a device open to hackers, but cyber attacks could have a huge impact on traffic in the future.

New technology in cars can help you get around traffic jams and speed up your commute, but a new study claims connected vehicles could gridlock entire cities

Let's connect the dots.

Scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology looked into what it would take for hackers to cause widespread havoc on cities, and it's not much.

RELATED: Austin first city in Texas to test traffic signal technology for 'connected' vehicles

While you may just use those smart features to control your radio or GPS, they can be tied to your central computing system to control speed, brakes, you name it.

Hacking just 10% of connected cars during rush hour would slow things down enough to stop emergency vehicles from getting around. Randomly stalling 20% of drivers would result in a total traffic freeze.

RELATED: Texas to form connected and automated vehicle task force

In this scenario, not all those vehicles would need to be connected. This study didn't even factor in things like panic from drivers or people getting out of their cars to walk around a traffic jam. Keep in mind that this is all a hypothetical situation.

So, what's the point?

Splitting networks that connect vehicles could help prevent hacking problems by ensuring that cars that are next to each other can't be hacked at the same time. Researchers want automakers to focus on cybersecurity to protect drivers. Otherwise, your decision to buy a smart car may not seem smart.

WATCH: Studying connected cars and traffic lights in Austin

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