The concept of ‘platooning’ – whereby vehicles travel in convoy very close to each other while connected by a wireless electronic communications system – is gathering steam, and threatening to revolutionise Outback travel.
Rapidly evolving technology allows these ‘wirelessly attached’ rigs to accelerate and brake in unison without any driver input in the ‘following vehicles’. The claimed benefits of platooning include improved road safety, fuel efficiency and traffic flow.
Platooning obviously has massive potential implications for the trucking industry … but it could also one day be adopted by grey nomad motorhomers travelling in convoy with friends.
It might, for example, allow the occupants of the ‘following’ rig to enjoy the scenery rather than having their eyes locked on the road ahead, or perhaps they may be even leave their motorhome to travel in the ‘leading’ rig so they can share the journey and the excitement with their friends as they rumble through the Outback. It could certainly be an aid in the fight against driver fatigue.
And none of it is as futuristic as it sounds. Truck platooning has been implemented by many truck manufacturers overseas and has successfully clocked up many, many thousands of kilometres in testing. A major trial involving six manufacturers took place in Europe in April.
In Europe, there is a belief that it can become an accepted part of road travel in just four years time, and the obstacles regulatory rather than technical.
Bastiaan Krosse, who is the head of automated driving at the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, was in Perth last week and is a firm believer that Australia can take a leading role in ‘platooning’,
“I think you have a really interesting perspective of doing something about issues such as fatigue, driving along these very long corridors and saving fuel,” Mr Krosse told Logistics & Materials Handling magazine. “I think the biggest opportunity is to make it more safe and more efficient.” Mr Krosse was in the country to meet policymakers, road operators, insurers and transport groups. The National Transport Commission is now calling for submissions as it reviews the regulations around automated road and rail vehicles in Australia.
Although there are already driverless truck fleets on mine sites in the Pilbara, the Australian Trucking Association says is opposed to further platooning at this stage and has concerns about any technology that could replace drivers.
Driverless technology is already available at the high-end of the market in the form of adaptive cruise control, traffic-jam assistance and autonomous parking systems.
Love adaptive cruise control.have had it for 5 year’s in my Jeep SO so good
Platooning motorhomes would make it even more difficult for faster vehicles to overtake. Imagine trying to get past 5+ motorhomes travelling close together.
Imagine a platoon of b triples with no gaps between them trying to overtake a platoon of motorhomes with no gaps. The language on the radio is bad enough already but in this case it would melt the poor thing.
Can you just imagine the trouble on any highway if one of these driverless convoys was to stop because a sensor had detected a low tire in one of the vehicles,
Just think, if they all came to a stop on a sharp bend, at night, what fun there would be if the convoy came to a stop in the W.A Outback, and the Controller was behind a desk in, say Hobart !!!
There’s no way that I would ever consider this …… totally removes one’s independence to travel as and where ….. stuck with same people for days (weeks) at a time?? YUK!! Then there’s the Safety issue …. there are, you know, other road users, and a “convoy” of this nature would grossly heighten the already high dangers on our roads!
Leave it to the system that already works. Railway.
.STRANGE that there. Does not, appear to be one positive comment regarding the future use of this so – Called Technological breakthrough!
BUT! Then aren’t we just the old farts that know Nothing?
Most of us are over the 60 mark & still safely driving around the country dodging all the great ” breakthroughs.” That have already been foisted on us to save the road toll etc. THIS of course just happens to make a few people very wealthy at the cost of others.
I can’ t imagine trying to overtake several trucks (read road trains) that are all nose to tail!
Ever heard of the Truckee complaining of several caravans travelling together that he has absolutely no chance safely overtaking?