Drivers ‘need reassurance on safety, cybercrime and terrorism if truck platoons are to deliver’

Commenting on the UK Department of Transport announcement regarding trialling of platoons of self-driving lorries on England's motorways, independent road safety charity is advising there must be more reassurances on issues such as cyber attacks as well as basic road safety needs such as telling other drivers which trucks are in the platoon. The trial, due for 2018, will see up to three lorries travel in automated convoys which will be controlled by a driver in the lead vehicle in a bid to cut congestion an
August 29, 2017 Read time: 2 mins

Commenting on the UK Department of Transport announcement regarding trialling of platoons of self-driving lorries on England's motorways, independent road safety charity is advising there must be more reassurances on issues such as cyber attacks as well as basic road safety needs such as telling other drivers which trucks are in the platoon.

The trial, due for 2018, will see up to three lorries travel in automated convoys which will be controlled by a driver in the lead vehicle in a bid to cut congestion and emissions.

Cybercrime was the top concern in a 2016 IAM RoadSmart member poll pm driverless vehicles.

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart director of policy and research, said motorways are the safest roads and that record must not be jeopardised by any rush towards autonomous technology. The pilot study may answer these questions but car and motorbike users will need a lot of reassurance that the systems will not block the inside lane with an extra-long ‘wall’ of trucks.

He added: “The technology exists to implement platooning but in the real world it must deliver real economic benefits to outweigh our safety worries. How will other drivers know which trucks are in a platoon? Will the sight of tailgating trucks be a distraction? Can we still use slip roads and view important roadside signs clearly?

“The public quite rightly also have real concerns in the light of current terrorist attacks and the rise in cybercrime generally. These are all genuine questions in people’s minds that need to be answered by the trial.”

Location Based Systems

Related Content

  • Europe’s car safety framework needs ‘overhaul’
    March 22, 2016
    Vehicle safety innovations are still benefitting too few road users in Europe due to an over-reliance on a voluntary testing programme rather than regulatory standards, according to a new report by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC). For almost twenty years, increases in levels of car safety in Europe have been driven mainly by the voluntary Euro NCAP programme which awards the safest cars with a 5-star rating. But according to new data, only around half of new vehicles sold in 2013 had been aw
    Read More
  • Comprehensive review of distracted driving research released
    April 18, 2012
    The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) in the US has released the first comprehensive overview summarising distracted driving research for state officials. The report considered research from more than 350 scientific papers published between 2000 and 2011.
    Read More
  • Integrate systems to reduce roadside infrastructure
    January 27, 2012
    David Crawford reviews promising current developments. Instrumentation of the road infrastructure has grown to become one of the most dynamic sectors of the ITS industry. Drivers for its deployment include global concerns over the commercial and environmental pressures of traffic congestion, the importance of keeping drivers informed throughout their journeys, and the need to reduce accident rates and promote the safety of all road users, for example by enforcing traffic safety rules.
    Read More
  • German road toll to cost foreign drivers up to €130 a year
    November 3, 2014
    The German government has introduced a controversial road toll which will force foreign car drivers to pay up to €130 (US$162) a year for using Germany's autobahn motorways.
    Read More

Highlighted Content