A pilot program which sought to test the real-world benefits of new truck platooning technology has been vetoed by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon who cited a recent fatal accident involving a Tesla car utilizing self-driving technology. The only problem is that critics say the two technologies are entirely different.

The accident Gov. Nixon referenced occurred when a Tesla driver using the “autopilot” feature didn’t react when the Tesla system apparently failed to detect a truck making a left turn in front of it at an intersection and the car drove straight ahead, colliding with the trailer and taking the Tesla driver’s life.





Initial reports suggest that the Tesla system’s sensors could not detect the trailer because its unmarked, bright white color caused it to blend completely with the bright sky overhead.

According to Gov. Nixon, the incident highlights the danger of automated driving technology and that testing it on Missouri’s highways could be a danger to the public. Whether or not that claim is true however, the platooning systems that would have been tested would not have utilized autonomous driving.

According to Richard Bishop, the chairman of a Technology & Maintenance Council task force on automated driving and platooning, the systems would only have linked two connected trucks so that they could share speed, acceleration, and braking data – all other controls including steering, navigation, and monitoring the road would still have been controlled by the professional driver.

“There are legitimate safety questions about autopilots and driver responsibility, but these questions don’t apply to truck platooning,” said Bishop in an interview with Heavy Duty Trucking. “While platooning, the driver experience is basically the same as with today’s adaptive cruise control systems, but at inter-vehicle distances of 50-100 feet.”

Current state laws require a distance between two trucks of at least 300 feet. Proponents of platooning technology claim that by allowing the two trucks to share information wirelessly, the near instantaneous reaction time of the technology would allow trucks following as close as 50 feet to still react safely to obstacles or changes in traffic. It is thought that the reduced follow distance would greatly enhance fuel economy and safety.

“The risks associated with automated vehicles are even greater considering the size of long-haul trucks and the catastrophic damage that could occur if the technology failed,” said Gov. Nixon. “Using Missouri highways as a testing ground for long-haul trucks to deploy this unproven technology is simply a risk not worth taking at this time.”

Source: truckinginfo, truckinginfo, truckinginfo, stltoday