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UK to trial ‘Platooning’ or ‘driverless’ three truck convoys on motorways by end of next year
Britain is on the verge of trialling out the use of new technology
named as truck ‘Platooning’ in which three truck convoys will be tested with the lead truck being driven by a human being and the two driver less trucks behind it.
These ‘self-driving’ truck convoys according to government will be tried out by the end of next year in experiments in which three three trucks will proceed in formation. The convoy lead vehicle will control all three trucks steering, acceleration and braking as the first vehicle will be driven by a human while the other two vehicles are controlled by wireless technology.
The challenge is that the UK has some of the busiest motorways in Europe unlike in countries like the US where the freeways are just long open stretches of open highway . Lorry platooning would. according to proposers of this new technology, lower fuel consumption and transport costs. The AA, RAC and Unite are concerned about the already congested British roads, job losses, road safety and other critical issues of concern.
From a layman’s point of view, I can immediately see many challenges revolving around this such as the real risk of cyber attack where wireless technology is hacked and the vehicles are crashed on the motorway, goods stolen or used as terrorist weapons as has become common now in Europe.
There will be issues of vehicles struggling to enter the motorway from side roads because of multiple side roads on UK motorways and the real risk of vehicles misjudging the gap through impatience or other. and an accident happening. Insurance companies will struggle to deal with accident issues where vehicles are driverless and therefore no witness to accidents.
Of major concern to me is that, if the lead vehicle driver collapses or gets his foot stuck beneath the accelerator, is inebriated or other, all three vehicles will behave in similar out of control manner crashing into other vehicles, pedestrians or animals , However these are all issues to be looked into by the trials. More news to follow. By Sibusiso Ngwenya