Motorway traffic drones are coming to UK roads, but will they drive us to distraction?

Simulator tests drivers' reaction to low flying drones Motorway traffic drones are coming to UK roads, but will they drive us to distraction? National Highways agency uses virtual reality test to see if drivers are distracted by introduction of low-flying drones I’m barrelling down the motorway at 70mph, swerving from lane to lane, with cars speeding past me. There’s just one problem, I don’t have a driving licence. Or at least it would be a problem were this a real road test. But despite the life-like surroundings, I am in fact trialling a complex simulation created by virtual reality company MXT on behalf of National Highways, the government-owned agency responsible for the UK’s major roads. Its purpose, beyond being fun, is to see if drivers are likely to be distracted or disturbed by the introduction of low-flying drones deployed to monitor the state of the country’s 4,500 miles of motorways and A-roads. Human-operated drones have already been used by the National Highways since 2020, in collaboration with engineering company Arup, but the agency is hoping to roll out even smaller drones that can get closer to sites of possible road maintenance, with the hope of having them in the air above motorways by early 2027. View image in fullscreen The writer taking part in a simulation run by the National Highways agency and Arup to see if his ability to drive would be affected by drones. Photograph: Jon Super/The Guardian National Highways say smaller drones flying at a lower altitude of between 10 and 20 metres will be able to pick up more details than larger drones, which are only allowed to fly about 50 metres above the road’s surface. The smaller drones are also about 10 times cheaper. The simulation examines how feasible this is. The tests, which have taken place in London, Manchester and Birmingham over the course of a month, are described to participants as a standard road safety simulation, with drones only being mentioned after they are finished. Participants are then asked if they had noticed how much – if at all – they felt the drones affected their driving. On top of their testimony, the test also measures several metrics during the simulation, including the participant’s heart rate, pupil dilation and the amount of time they spend not looking directly ahead, as well as factors such as speed and steer control. It’s a surprisingly nervy experience and one that is not likely to boost my confidence behind the wheel. Still, while the simulated driving undertaken to write this story was described as “not great”, the administrator did point out that it wasn’t the worst they had seen, adding “at least you didn’t crash”. Ewan Murdoch, a senior consultant at Arup, said that the results of the test could lead to drones being used for highway maintenance around the world. View image in fullscreen The writer’s simulated driving was described as ‘not great’ but it wasn’t the worst the administrator had seen. Photograph: Jon Super/The Guardian “We’ve