Level 2 autonomous vehicle technology to be made available for the first time in the UK

The UK has taken another step forward on its journey to embracing self-driving cars, as the government has approved a driving-assist feature which will allow motorists to take their hands off the wheel.

The feature, called the?BlueCruise?system, is available with the Ford Mustang Mach-E model and allows the vehicle to steer, brake and accelerate using radar and cameras to track road markings and other vehicles.

However, the driver is still required to pay attention to the road and the system uses an infrared camera to monitor the driver and ensure their eyes are on the road. If it detects that the driver is looking elsewhere, the system will sound a warning and slow the vehicle down.

The hands-free technology is available through an ￡18 per month subscription and is usable within a geofenced area of 2,300 miles of motorway in the UK (representing 95 per cent of the network). These roads have been labelled ‘Blue Zones’, and you can view them on a map?here.

According to Ford, although the technology is already in use in the USA and is similar to Tesla features, this will be the first time that level 2 autonomy – which is described as partial automation - will be available for use in vehicles on public roads in the UK.

Getting ahead of safety concerns, Ford has clarified that the automated system has been tested in Europe over more than 100,000 miles of road and been tested against worn-out lane markings, poor weather conditions and roadworks.