Trials of wirelessly connected vehicles and driverless cars to hit UK

Highways England will spend £150M towards trials of wirelessly connected vehicles and driverless cars to push innovation.

Highways England has today published its innovation strategy, which includes spending £150M on its wide-ranging plan to ensure that technology is continuing to advance on the UK roads.

Following the announcement made by George Osborne in the March 2016 Budget, plans are in place for driverless cars to be tested on the motorway by 2017.

Plans include a connected corridor or “wi-fi road”, which could see cars and infrastructure wirelessly connected, with live news of advanced road closures and warnings of upcoming traffic. Specially adapted vehicles on the A2/M2 between London and Kent will be trialled, with the latest journey information being sent to the vehicles which, depending on the circumstances, could suggest changing lanes or taking an alternative route.

New radar technology and acoustic technology at the Hindhead Tunnel in Surrey will be trialled on motorways and tunnels to improve the way breakdowns are detected, which continually monitor traffic and alert control centres within seconds of a stationary vehicle.

Highways England will also ensure that trials are being undertaken for autonomous vehicles on motorways by the end of next year, to start to collect real world data on potential performance and potential impacts on capacity and operations.

They are also looking at increasing traffic flow by improving the signalling of junctions of motorways, which would involve adapting timing of the signals at junctions depending on the time of day and use. Highways England will research the use of sensors that could provide better information about the condition of the roads, bridges and tunnels of the network, which could assist with more targeted maintenance programmes, saving money.

The use of ‘expressways’ on A roads will be developed to encourage more free-flowing traffic by having modernised junctions, provide emergency refuge and maintenance areas and use advanced technology to provide journey information.

Roads Minister Andrew Jones said: “Innovation is absolutely critical to our £15Bn investment plan for roads. A more reliable road network is good news for motorists and good news for the economy. Quicker, safer roads will improve access to jobs and opportunities. Placing Britain at the forefront of innovation and research in this area will also create more jobs and investment.”

Highways England Chief Executive Jim O’Sullivan said: “We’re committed to using innovation to benefit the millions of journeys made on England’s Strategic Road Network today and in the future. We will work with our partners in the supply chain, technology specialists and the automotive industry to trial new technologies that will help make journeys on our roads safer, more reliable and better informed.

“This will involve supporting trials of better connected and autonomous vehicles on our motorways by the end of next year, testing radar technology to better detect breakdowns, and trialling fuel price signs on the M5 between Bristol and Exeter.”

Highways England will also explore the creation of a Test and Innovation Centre to pioneer new research.

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