Lorries could soon be driving up and down the M5 by Bristol without drivers.

Convoys of the self-driving drone lorries are expected to trialled on the nations roads next year, with the M5 between Plymouth and Birmingham seen as one of the safest to introduce the new tech, which could have major ramifications to the industry as well as road safety.

The route between Manchester and Glasgow was found to be the most commercially valuable, while the M25 around London would see the biggest improvements in safety with the introduction of autonomous vehicles, the report forecasts.

A report by INRIX, one of the world's top traffic monitoring organisations, said: "The M25 circling London recorded significantly higher levels of dangerous slowdown incidents per mile than any other corridor.

"Its high-risk profile coupled with its freight volumes means it could benefit most from the adoption of HAV safety technology.

"The M6 from approximately Coventry to Manchester places second due to its freight volume nearly matching the M25 and an incident rate more than 20% higher than the next closest."

Driverless lorries would have automatic braking technology (stock image)
Driverless lorries would have automatic braking technology (stock image)

Top 10 Routes in the UK for Driverless Lorries Safety Improvements

1 M25 London Orbital

2 M6 Coventry-Manchester

3 M5 | A38 Plymouth-Birmingham

4 M4 Swindon-Swansea

5 A1 Sheffield-Edinburgh

6 A14 Coventry-Ipswich

7 A30 Exeter-Penzance

8 A90 | M90 Edinburgh-Aberdeen

9 A47 Wisbech-Norwich

10 A5 Wolverhampton-Bangor

The M5, which runs alongside Bristol and goes through Somerset, comes third on the INRIX list of roads and locations which could benefit from safer technology.

Speaking to the Daily Mail a spokesman for Inrix said: "HAVs continue to dominate headlines, often with a narrative of how the technology is going to either alleviate or exacerbate all of our transportation challenges.

'Platoons' of driverless trucks could travel in close convoy to save fuel (stock image)
'Platoons' of driverless trucks could travel in close convoy to save fuel (stock image)

"However, transportation experts agree that like any technological innovation, the ultimate impact of impending “driverless” vehicles will have much more to do with when and where the technology is deployed than an inherent value or downside

"Leveraging current data on travel patterns and conditions is essential to maximising the significant upside of HAVs, while minimizing the downside."

The current practice believed to be looked at for future driverless lorries is three wirelessly connected HGVs will travel in convoy, with acceleration and braking controlled by the lead vehicle.

All lorries involved will have a driver ready to take control if required.

In 2017 there was a shortage of 52,000 drivers and 14 per cent of drivers are from the European Union, prompting concerns about further shortages in the future after Brexit.