Driverless lorries to be trialled in UK

TomandJerry · Mar 6, 2016

"Driverless lorries are to be trialled in the UK, Chancellor George Osborne is expected to confirm in his Budget speech this month.

The Department for Transport said the UK would "lead the way" in testing driverless "HGV platoons".

The technology enables vehicles to move in a group, using less fuel, it said.

The Times reported*trials would take place on the M6 in Cumbria later in 2016, with vehicles in convoy headed by a driver in the leading lorry.

The tests would take place on a quiet stretch of the motorway, it said.

The paper said the plans could result in platoons of up to 10 computer-controlled lorries being driven metres apart from each other.

It said the chancellor was preparing to fund the trials as part of plans to speed up lorry deliveries and cut congestion."

Yes and how many jobs will lorry drivers lose?!

lawros left foot · Mar 6, 2016

I don't understand how that will work, shirley all ten trucks would have to be going to the same place? Is there a huge amount of deliveries that require up to ten trucks?

Dorset Seagull · Mar 6, 2016

Basically it's just a big lorry then

AmexRuislip · Mar 6, 2016

lawros left foot said:
I don't understand how that will work, shirley all ten trucks would have to be going to the same place? Is there a huge amount of deliveries that require up to ten trucks?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35737104

lawros left foot · Mar 6, 2016

AmexRuislip said:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35737104

Thanks for that

Notters · Mar 6, 2016

Imagine coming down the slip road to that!

Official Old Man · Mar 6, 2016

Reminds me of the Simpsons episode were Homer becomes a lorry driver, only to discover that all lorries drive themselves.
And a quiet stretch of the M6, doesn't exist.

Triggaaar · Mar 6, 2016

That sounds really shit.

Individual lorries that can operate without a human, yes, a convoy that relies on a human at the front, no thanks.

8ace · Mar 6, 2016

Who's going to murder the brasses

ipad1977 · Mar 6, 2016

The m6 from Penrith to Carlisle is fairly quiet, especially so at certain times.

There is one plus from this for the common man, although small; slightly less chance of being stuck behind a lorry at 56mph overtaking a lorry at 55.95mph for 10 minutes on varying gradient.

studio150 · Mar 6, 2016

Road trains have been tested elsewhere. There are a number of issues to overcome such as trucks joining and leaving the convoy. What happens in terms of liability in the event of an accident is thw lwad driver the one that takes the hit even if it was truck no.5 as an example.

Also as is mentioned the link the need for other road users to join or leave the motorway when the road train is passing a junction.

portslade seagull · Mar 6, 2016

Sounds improbable to me and rather risky on a motorway

franks brother · Mar 6, 2016

Only way driverless trucks will ever work in the uk is if every single vechilce on the road is driverless.

wellquickwoody · Mar 6, 2016

portslade seagull said:
Sounds improbable to me and rather risky on a motorway

Where else would be safer?

portslade seagull · Mar 6, 2016

wellquickwoody said:
Where else would be safer?

Somewhere where there isn't any Human interaction as it will be them that cause the issue's

wellquickwoody · Mar 6, 2016

This sxxt is coming folks. Soon you will not drive your own car what with lane assist, parking assist, cars automatically maintaining distance to the next vehicle, black boxes reporting back to the insurance company (no doubt soon to include the constabulary). If you enjoy driving you should try to buy your perfect car ASAP, as very soon you will just get in and be taken to your destination by a computer which sounds really dull to me, like being on an outdoor tube train.

beorhthelm · Mar 6, 2016

The trail seems a tad pointless as even if successful in this deliberately chosen area, how does it prove its suitable in other areas? And once at the end of the trial stretch will there be a crew of drivers ready for the onward stretch?

The idea of automated vehicles is great but probably not very practical unless all vehicles are automated. Then they can communicate with each other. Introduce real drivers and it breaks down. The Google car trials in US have had no accidents not caused by other human drivers, so the tech is there about already. Just acceptance and practicalities.

Diego Napier · Mar 6, 2016

wellquickwoody said:
This sxxt is coming folks. Soon you will not drive your own car what with lane assist, parking assist, cars automatically maintaining distance to the next vehicle, black boxes reporting back to the insurance company (no doubt soon to include the constabulary). If you enjoy driving you should try to buy your perfect car ASAP, as very soon you will just get in and be taken to your destination by a computer which sounds really dull to me, like being on an outdoor tube train.

It does sound dull but as you say, it will happen. I suppose it is a good price to pay to avoid over 1500 deaths & 20,000 serious injuries each year (plus speeding up average journey times).

Pinkie Brown · Mar 6, 2016

The money would be far better spent improving the railway infrastructure so as to enable more freight trains that would have far more capacity and cut down the HGV's clogging up the roads and motorways. Since the Beeching era, the railway freight facilities have been decimated. Having railfreight depots with feeder trucks to the local area would be a far better investment.

Fungus · Mar 6, 2016

wellquickwoody said:
Where else would be safer?

Rail tracks?

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