Ford has released “hands-off, eyes-on” driver-assistance technology in the UK, with full Department of Transport approval for use on select UK highways — 2,300 miles of pre-mapped motorways in England, Scotland, and Wales, designated as “Blue Zones”.
The subscription technology, called Ford BlueCruise, will initially only be available for 2023 models of Ford’s all-electric Mustang Mach-E SUV. The vehicle, which has a maximum speed of 80 mph, uses five radars to detect and track the position and speed of other vehicles on the road, according to Ford.
Though the car will be able to handle tasks like acceleration, braking, lane positioning, and steering independently, Ford requires the driver to be capable of taking control of the vehicle at any time and be fully aware of what’s going on, in order for BlueCruise to function.
A forward-facing camera will detect lane markings and speed signs, while the car’s system uses an infrared driver-facing camera located below the instrument cluster to check your eye gaze and head pose — even if you are wearing sunglasses — to ensure your attention remains focused on the road.
If the system detects that you are inattentive, warning messages will be displayed in the instrument cluster, followed by audio alerts, and brake activations, before the vehicle finally slows down while maintaining steering control.
According to Ford, similar actions are performed if the driver fails to place their hands back on the steering wheel when prompted when leaving a Blue Zone.
BlueCruise represents what’s known as a “Level 2” driver-assistance system, and is broadly comparable to Tesla’s Autocar and General Motors’ Super Cruise offerings.
It has been available since 2021 across the Atlantic, and in that time more than 190,000 Ford and Lincoln vehicles have covered more than 60 million miles using the technology in the US and Canada.
But trying out the technology for yourself definitely won’t come cheap. A 2023 all-electric Mustang Mach-E SUV will set you back roughly £50,750 at full retail price, though Ford did say it was working with regulators to bring Blue Cruise to earlier models. On top of that, after a 90-day trial, BlueCruise will set drivers back £17.99 per month.
While self-driving technology might be an expensive and niche pursuit at the moment, Government research predicts that by 2035, 40 per cent of new cars in the UK could have such capabilities.
In August last year, the Government said that a much wider rollout of self-driving vehicles could be expected as soon as 2025.
Using self-driving technology without regulatory approval or outside of approved uses in the UK can land you in hot water. In 2020, a Tesla Model 3 owner in the United Kingdom received a warning from local police for testing the Autopilot option of the vehicle.
The YouTuber had attempted to use the Autopilot feature to navigate Swindon’s notoriously complex roundabout.
