Related Sections: Future Tech Vehicles
'Road trains' look like a severe pile-up in the making
You've probably seen a road train before. A couple of tankers are often hitched to a single truck cab, and even several cabs can be stacked up for transport. Now, the European Union is looking into the viability of doing that with cars — with drivers still behind their wheels — by taking advantage of wireless technology.
The public road train would involve a professional driver, which would control all of the vehicles in its train. "Each of the vehicles will have their own control and software monitoring system," Tom Robinson an engineer from Ricardo working on the project, told the BBC. "We're looking at what it would take to get platooning on public highways without making big changes to the public highways themselves."
To join the train and leave it, a driver would signal the lead car and everything would be automated — including the driving. Tests will be carried out at the end of the year on test tacks in the UK, Spain and Sweden. In Spain, however, additional tests will also happen on public roads. If this is a bad idea, we'll probably hear about it pretty soon.
By stargate525 at 8:34 PM ON 11/09/09
I've heard about something like this before. With the adaptive cruise control and other advances we're making in automotives, I can easily see this being on our roads soon.
Though I do wonder: if the lead gets into an accident, who's at fault for the damage done to the other cars?
By Old Man Dotes at 9:32 PM ON 11/09/09
If you've ever driven in Europe, you know they already drive like this; at least with computer control and wireless communication, there should be fewer 100-car pile-ups.
By Ramondjram at 6:37 AM ON 11/10/09
This save on wear and tear because the ICE is most efficient running at a constant speed. And if the lead vehicle is large enough, this will cut down the drag for the followers, saving fuel. Plus you get the benefit of resting, napping or doing business while someone else drives for you. I would like to use it someday.
By Ebee at 9:03 AM ON 11/10/09
With some of the drivers out on the roads today i think monkey drivers may be an improvment, howver i still dont know this would be any better.
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By Joie77 at 10:18 AM ON 11/10/09
My husband and I would love it. We travel 2 hours up and down I75 in Ohio from Dayton to Findlay often. It would be nice to talk more, watch a movie with the kids, play a game, read a book, get some paperwork done, get my mending done, rather than just "driving and waiting" to get there.
By Mr. Gumsandals at 10:54 AM ON 11/10/09
I could see this working on I-95 down here in Miami. We already have dedicated bus lanes. Turn those busses into "road trains" with the added cachet that the "locomotive" is also carrying people. Sounds like the best of both worlds.
By Chuckie at 2:13 PM ON 11/11/09
No surprise coming from socialist Europe!!
By nixbits at 7:37 AM ON 11/12/09
I don't think this is likely to become a reality, at least not on UK roads. There are too many safety issues to be overcome.
What happens when the roadtrain encounters a slower-moving vehicle, like a farm tractor, or a car towing a horse-box or caravan? Will the lead driver be able to judge whether it is safe for such a long line of vehicles to change lanes (twice) to overtake it, even in heavy traffic?
Will the control systems in each vehicle be able to cope with a burst tyre, running out of fuel, or a side impact from a vehicle in the next lane swerving to avoid some debris in the road?
When a car hits a motorcyclist in the next lane and the downed biker slides into lane 1, will the lead driver 50 metres ahead be able to steer his roadtrain so that the sixth vehicle in line misses him?
When the roadtrain reaches the end of the motorway and the lead driver signals that the roadtrain is about to break up, what happens if one of the drivers doesn't acknowledge the signal? Maybe he is too busy reading the newspaper and listening to his iPod.
Even if the technical issues are solvable, I reckon that the human factor, legal and insurance problems will prevent this idea achieving widespread acceptance.
Once again I supsect that some of the tax that I pay is going to fund research into a technology that simply isn't needed. We don't need ways to allow drivers to watch a DVD on their way to work. We need ways to improve driver awareness, concentration and driving skill.
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nixbits:
I don't think this is likely to become a reality, at least not on UK roads. There are too many safety issues to be ...More »