Sit back and relax, it's just a 'road train'...

The prospect of driving a car without the need to hold the steering wheel, press the pedals or even pay attention to what’s going on ahead has come a step closer. For the first time ever, a multi-vehicle ‘road train’ automatically driving in convoy behind a lead vehicle has operated on a motorway with other traffic. The successful test – known as ‘vehicle platooning’ – took place in Spain as part of the Safe Road Trains for the Environment (SARTRE) project. And it wasn’t just a case of coming on then getting off at the next exit. The cars did 120 miles with no reported incidents, averaging more than 50mph. As you can see from the pictures they’re all Volvos because it’s the lead manufacturer in SARTRE. They use built-in cameras, radar and laser sensors to monitor the lead vehicle and then mimic it. This project has been ongoing quietly for a couple of years now, occasionally reporting some bit of success, such as this. I find the whole thing fascinating. Not entirely sure what the legal situation is – I presume law-changes would be needed for this to become part of everyday motoring – but I suspect it’s going to happen while I’m still driving a car.