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There seems to be a big reality gap in there somewhere...

Not much of a gap. Volvo's already successfully tested platooning vehicles on a public road. The safe stopping distance for 90 km/h is 75 meters. Volvo has reduced it down to 6.

Test track trials of SARTRE platooning took place at the Volvo Proving Ground near Gothenburg, Sweden and in a public road in Spain.[7] In January 2011 the first successful trial took place at Volvo's test track in Sweden, in which a single car followed behind a rigid truck. With control being taken by the truck, the driver of the slaved car was able to take his hands off the wheel, read a newspaper, and sip coffee.[5]
In January 2012 SARTRE carried out a second demonstration in a public road in Barcelona, Spain, this time with of a multiple vehicle platoon, a lead truck followed by three cars driven entirely autonomously at speeds of up to 90 km/h (56 mph) with a gap between the vehicles of no more than 6 m (20 ft). Volvo Car Corporation was the only participating car manufacturer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safe_Ro...he_Environment