UK Becomes First European Country to Allow Hands-Free Driving
A pair of 2021 Ford Mustang Mach E are displayed for sale at a Ford dealer on Thursday, May 6, 2021, in Wexford, Pa.
InternationalIndiaAfricaMOSCOW (Sputnik) – The United Kingdom now allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel as long as the car is fitted with Ford’s BlueCruise technology, the US carmaker said on Friday. This makes the UK the first country in Europe to allow the hands-free driving system, which is approved for specific sections of the road in England, Scotland and Wales, called hands-free blue zones. “Ford becomes the first automaker to introduce ‘hands-off, eyes-on’ advanced driver assistance technology approved for pre-mapped motorways in Great Britain,” the statement read. 
Science & Tech‘Turn That S–t Down!’: Spotify to Introduce Voice-Activated Interface for Cars19 January 2019, 20:37 GMTBlueCruise is only available for Ford’s Mustang Mach-E electric SUV models build after November 3 of last year. It is activated via subscription and costs 17.99 pounds ($22.5) per month. The technology can steer a car at a maximum speed of 80 miles per hour, using a combination of radars and cameras to detect and track the position and speed of other vehicles. An inward-looking infrared camera will monitor the driver’s gaze to make sure their eyes stay on the road. It will sound an alarm if the driver takes their eyes off the road and will slow the car down if it is ignored. UK Transport Minister Jesse Norman praised Ford for choosing his country for BlueCruise’s European launch, putting it “at the forefront of innovation.” 
WorldNo Sooner Is Trump Out Of Office, Ford Is Switching US$900 Mln Investment From Ohio To Mexico18 March 2021, 18:18 GMT”The latest advanced driver assistance systems make driving smoother and easier, but they can also help make roads safer by reducing scope for driver error,” he said. Ford expects other European countries to give their regulatory approval to the hands-free technology and will roll out BlueCruise to further Ford vehicles in the coming years.
