Driverless Big Rigs to be Trialed in UK
March 6th, 2016Via: BBC:
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.
