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Imagine a car that can sense you’re about to pass out, safely pull itself over — and then alerts other drivers who can guide your car by radio waves to a hospital.

The same car might be able to beam a live picture of that ladder in the middle of the expressway that’s causing the traffic backup. Or, it might deliver itself to you from the parking lot after dinner.

About 30 demonstrations are happening on Belle Isle and local freeways as part of the World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems, a five-day international conference about connecting cars with each other, and with highways and pedestrians in order to avoid accidents, speed traffic flow and free drivers from the tedium of piloting their cars.

Honda Motor Co. and General Motors Co. demonstrated these technologies Monday:

■An Acura RLX circled an eight-mile loop of M-10, Interstate 75 and Interstate 375 — all without the driver touching the steering wheel, accelerator or brakes.

A driver had full control of the car as it motored along Jefferson Avenue, but as soon as it merged onto the Lodge and the driver pressed a button, the automated system took over: A giant navigation screen in the center console showed cars in front, behind and to the side. The Acura picked up speed, changed lanes, slowed and merged onto other freeways automatically. Spinning cameras provided a 360-degree view of everything around it and allowed the car to maintain a safe distance from others. The driver could take over at any time by hitting the brake pedal or grabbing the steering wheel.

Honda said the technology is being developed for all of its vehicles, and that some form of autonomous driving could be available by 2020.

■An Opel Insignia with six sensors, long-range radar, GPS, cameras and other vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology allowed Priyantha Mudalige, a staff researcher for GM, to take his hands off the steering wheel in simulated city traffic. As the Insignia caught up with a slower-moving Cadillac, the Insignia steered itself into the left lane.

GM also showcased the Insignia’s “traffic jam assist” capability, which allows the car to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, even if it’s continually stopping and starting.

■Honda tested a virtual towing program it says could help save lives: During a closed-course demonstration on Belle Isle, a driver pretended to have a heart attack and pressed an SOS button near the rearview mirror. The Acura took over the driving, automatically put on its flashers and pulled to the side of the road. It sent a distress signal to emergency vehicles and to other nearby cars. Another car pulled up, wirelessly synced with the distressed car and guided it down the road. In real life, it could have been guided to a hospital.