Cars would not need powerful engines and complex safety features if they could be transported by road trains on long distance roads like motorways. Cranes of road trains could pick up small and light vehicles. Road trains could increase fuel efficiency and reduce the number of accidents.

Road trains could run at the authorised speed along the motorways. Before the exits, they reduce the speed. At the exit their cranes will set out the small cars whose drivers  want to get off the road train. The cranes would set the cars previously taken on board on a parallel lane. On the lane, the cars would be steered for a while automatically, before the driver takes over control again. Small cars whose drivers want to get on the road train wait, a bit further down, on the parallel lane. A software operating from the road train would take over the control of the small car and make it speed up to the road trains moderate speed. At this moderate speed, one of the cranes of the road train takes the small car and puts it on a free place of the road train.

 

Road trains could reduce the number of accidents, but above all reduce fuel consumption of vehicles. The small cars would not need as powerful engines. The joint transportation of many vehicles would be more energy efficient than letting each of them run on their own.

Tags: accidents, road, trains