The UK government is expected to confirm that so called, ‘driverless’ trucks will be trialed in the UK. Generally met with shock and condemnation, what is actually being proposed?
- The correct term for the proposed system to be trialled is not ‘driverless trucks’, but ‘platooning’. This is where a series of vehicles use technology to enable drivers to move more closely to each other in convoy than would be safe if he or she were not using them. The UK government has agreed to a limited trial of platooning on a stretch of the M6 in Cumbria, a portion of UK motorway that is relatively quiet with larger sections between junctions.
- The RAC’s chief engineer, David Bizley said, “One of the main questions is really whether lorry platoons are appropriate for our motorway network, which is why the choice of the M6 in Cumbria for the trials is a good one because the junctions are few and far between and the traffic density is low compared with most stretches of motorway. So while this is a potentially welcome extension to the driverless technology we are seeing trialled in cars, it’s not clear yet whether it is something that would work in practice on the UK’s motorway network.”
- The platooning system uses a combination of existing technologies that have been tweaked to make the system as safe and effective as possible.
- Sophisticated Cruise Control
Driver Aids – Autonomous Braking
Steering by Wire
- Sophisticated Cruise Control