Volvo says road trains will be used in Europe by 2020

Swedish automaker Volvo says that road trains will be a fixture on Europe's roads by the end of the decade, according to Autocar. Thomas Broberg, Volvo's senior safety engineer, told Autocar that closed-road trials have already successfully been conducted and revealed that Volvo will participate in field trials in Sweden by the end of 2011. Broberg says that:

Road trains allow a driver to use their time better, drive safer, reduce congestion and improve the environment. You're always following another car, so why not let the driving be done by someone else?

Broberg claims that road trains are a step towards autonomous vehicles, telling Autocar that:

I believe they will happen. From a technological point of view, it's challenging, but possible.

Broberg admits that there are legal and social issues associated with road trains, but says that:

Until you try it, you cannot grasp these issues.

We know there are environmental benefits as well, so let's hope this idea actually leaves the station some day.

[Source: Autocar]