Road trains that link vehicles together using wireless sensors could soon be on European roads. An EU-financed research project is looking at inexpensive ways of getting vehicles to travel in a 'platoon' on Europe's motorways. Each road train could include up to eight separate vehicles - cars, buses and trucks will be mixed in each one. The EU hopes to cut fuel consumption, journey times and congestion by linking vehicles together. Early work on the idea suggests that fuel consumption could be cut by 20% among those cars and trucks travelling behind the lead vehicle.

The lead vehicle would be handled by a professional driver who would monitor the status of the road train. Those in following vehicles could take their hands off the wheel, read a book or watch TV, while they travel along the motorway. Their vehicle would be controlled by the lead vehicle.

Funded under the European Commission's Framework 7 research plan, Sartre (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) is aimed at commuters in cars who travel long distances to work every day but will also look at ways to involve commercial vehicles.

Surely an easier way to cut vehicle emissions is to drop the speed limit to 50mph, compel a minimum 50mpg rating on car manufacturers, and encourage modular design and parts commonality to reduce retooling for endless and unnecessary new models?

Surely an easier way to cut vehicle emissions is to drop the speed limit to 50mph, compel a minimum 50mpg rating on car manufacturers, and encourage modular design and parts commonality to reduce retooling for endless and unnecessary new models?

Aussies already have them: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_train

Surely an easier way to cut vehicle emissions is to drop the speed limit to 50mph, compel a minimum 50mpg rating on car manufacturers, and encourage modular design and parts commonality to reduce retooling for endless and unnecessary new models?

First thing that comes to my mind are all those videos of high speed crashes on EU highways, the ones with high guard rail walls so there's nowhere for drivers to go. Some poor micro car piece of tin is shredded by another micro piece of tin that's doing 120mph. Or vaporized by a huge Volvo or Mercedes diesel rig.

Now trying to imagine this happening with groups of 8 cars... or 8 diesel rigs...

The Trebaunt made the grade, except for the fuel efficiency.

I vote no on the government mandating what model of car we own, and the complete stifling of innovation by demanding there be no "endless and unnecessary new models."

Complete governmental control of industry has been tried with results that were less than positive. Indeed, we just celebrated a big chunk of the rejection of such ideas in the 20th anniversary of bringing down the Berlin Wall!

... nobody was talking about complete governmental control.

Surely an easier way to cut vehicle emissions is to drop the speed limit to 50mph, compel a minimum 50mpg rating on car manufacturers, and encourage modular design and parts commonality to reduce retooling for endless and unnecessary new models?