Bumper boost coming

07th March 2007

Dr Aurelio Gonzalez-Villasenor led a team of University of Manchester engineers to give the idea of vehicles travelling in high-speed close formation - or platooning - a nudge forward.

The plan, which involves roadside transmitters guiding traffic, has been around for decades, but was held back by concern over technology failures. Now, the team has come up with a safety net. In the event of a signal failure, the bumper extends to touch the car in front and reacts if it brakes or accelerates. Dr Gonzalez-Villasenor's team hopes to have working prototypes this year.