Self-driving lorries ‘at risk of crashing in cyber attack’

SELF-DRIVING lorries which are to be trialled on England’s motorways could be vulnerable to cyberattack, an official report warned.

A feasibility study of the Government’s plan said there was a risk of a ‘malicious takeover’ of the convoys, putting road users at risk.

Under the scheme, up to three wirelessly connected HGVs will move in a platoon, with acceleration and braking controlled by the lead vehicle. The lorries would still be steered by drivers.

The report, commissioned by the Department for Transport (DfT), concludes that the system has the potential to reduce accidents and emissions, while improving traffic flow. But it also outlines 20 risks, including cyber-attack and the potential for drivers in the middle and back vehicles to lose concentration.

Extreme weather conditions could lead to the sensing system keeping the vehicles a set distance apart malfunctioning. Other cars could enter the convoy by mistake, and the lead lorry could suffer a tyre blow-out.

The scheme is expected to be tried on major roads next year.

Driving in convoy could see the front lorry push air out of the way, making the vehicles more efficient and lowering emissions. But Edmund King, AA president, said the safety of drivers must come first.

He said: ‘There have been cases of connected and autonomous vehicles and even road signs being hacked. The safety of the drivers is paramount.

‘if the platoon is hacked it could put on the brakes or try to make it accelerate.’

The study into ‘heavy vehicle platoons on UK roads’ was carried

Yesterday’s Mail out by the independent Transport research Laboratory consultancy and others in 2014 and published yesterday.

One lorry drivers’ organisation, which was not named, told the authors it was worried about ‘the safety impact of running so close together,’ adding: ‘There is no fuel-saving amount that is worth risking road safety for.’

The report said the probability of a ‘malicious takeover of a platoon ( cyber- attack)’ was ‘very low’, but its impact would be ‘very high’ and would involve a ‘threat to road user safety, road infrastructure and reputation’ of the convoy system.

it said ‘adverse environmental conditions’ such as snow and fog could ‘affect sensing capability’. The report also said motorists could be unaware of the convoy and drive between the lorries. And the authors said ‘driver underload’ was a problem as they may lose concentration when they are not performing the full range of driving tasks. ‘it must be ensured that they will always be able to reengage in the driving task within a few seconds,’ they added.

The report said it believed convoys would be safer, adding: ‘Around 90 per cent of accidents involve driver error. Automatic control (or driver assistance) reduces the magnitude of the risk of driver error.’

A DfT spokesman said: ‘ Platooning will not be permitted unless it is safe for our network. Public safety is, and always will be, our number one priority.’

MOTORWAY LORRIES WITHOUT A DRIVER