The development of self-driving has been increasing alongside the emergence of electric vehicles. The Department for Transport has granted Ford permission to use driver assistance technology in its Ford Mustang Mach-E cars in England, Scotland and Wales.

BlueCruise Technology

Ford’s “BlueCruise” system will be able to automatically adjust speed, steer around corners, and brakes while driving on motorways. The car will warn drivers if they take their eyes off the road, overtaking will not be allowed. The BlueCruise technology will only work on motorways on motorways in England, Wales and Scotland using location sensors to register when the vehicle is on approved roads. The car will drive at speeds of up to 70mph using radar and cameras to adjust speed and change lanes. The system will be able to adapt to variable speed limits and come to a stop in traffic jams.

Video: Hands-Free Driving Comes to European Highways with Ford BlueCruise by Ford

Safety Concerns

To ensure that the driver is still paying attention to the road while the BlueCruise Technology is enabled, the car uses an infrared camera to ensure drivers are still paying attention to the road. The car will show warning messages and audible alerts before slowing down the vehicle if it thinks the driver is distracted. Drivers cannot use their mobile phones to take their attention away from the road.

Ford has carried out 100,000 miles of testing to show that the system was able to handle UK roads such as worn-out lane markings, roadworks and poor weather conditions. Ford has said that the system has driven 64 million miles using the software in the US without an incident. When leaving the motorway, motorists will be prompted to regain control of the steering wheel. 

Mustang Mach-E

The feature will only be available in the Mustang Mach-E electric car with a starting price of £50,830. Owners will get 90 days free subscription to the service and cost £17.99 a month to access the service thereafter. Drivers that use the BlueCruise technology will be liable in an event of an accident.

Summary

The approval of Ford’s self-driving feature will open the gates for other manufacturers such as BMW, Toyota, and Nissan to launch their hands-free systems. Although there is driver assistance software such as Tesla’s Autopilot already exists in the UK but requires the driver to always have the hands on the steering wheel. The approval of self-drive technology in the UK will be an important test for the automotive industry as roads in Europe are narrower when compared to roads in the US. If the technology proves successful in real-time driving scenarios we could see more self-driving vehicles in Europe.