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U.K. to Test Automated Truck Platooning
The U.K. is funding an £8 million ($10 million) test of automated truck platooning on public roads by the end of 2018, Reuters reports.
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The U.K. is funding an £8 million ($10 million) test of automated truck platooning on public roads by the end of 2018, Reuters reports.
In automated platooning, a lead truck driven by a human controls the steering, braking and acceleration of other trucks following close behind. The technique can reduce fuel consumption and traffic congestion. Such systems have been tested for several years in Europe and the U.S.
British Transport Minister Paul Maynard says the U.K. tests will determine if the technology is safe and appropriate for Britain’s road system. The head of the country’s Automobile Assn. notes that English highways tend to have relatively more entrances, exits and congestion. That would make the U.K. demonstrations an especially rigorous test of platooning systems.
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