24 AFTERMARKET JUNE 2023 TECHNICAL/AFTERMARKET OF THE FUTURE www.aftermarketonline.net Bill Gates on his surreal self-driving ride around London Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has posted a great blog about the “surreal” experience of being driven around London in a selfdriving Wayve car with a safety driver. “I give you credit for picking one of the most difficult situations I've seen,” he tells Wayve CEO Alex Kendall. In his blog “The rules of the road are about to change”, Bill offers further thoughts, with a graphic explaining the SAE levels: “Right now, we’re close to the tipping point – between levels 2 and 3 – when cars are becoming available that allow the driver to take their hands off the wheel and let the system drive in certain circumstances,” he says. “The first level 3 car was recently approved for use in the United States, although only in very specific conditions: Autonomous mode is permitted if you’re going under 40mph on a highway in Nevada on a sunny day. Over the next decade, we’ll start to see more vehicles crossing this threshold. As AVs become more common, we’re going to have to rethink many of the systems we’ve created to support driving. “Governments will have to create new laws and regulations. Roads might even have to change. Will AVs eventually become so popular that you have to use the “human drivers only” lane if you want to be behind the wheel?” Big news! As you’ve probably seen, The Department for Transport (DfT) has approved the use of Ford’s BlueCruise assisted driving system on parts of the UK motorway network. Be in no doubt, this is momentous – the first time UK drivers will legally be able to take their hands off the wheel. But what does it mean for selfdriving? Initially only a select few have gained the ability to sometimes go hands-free – drivers of 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E cars who activate a subscription. They can then use the “hands-off, eyes-on” tech on 2,300 miles of pre-mapped motorways in England, Scotland and Wales, dubbed ‘Blue Zones’. A Ford video explained how it works: “BlueCruise combines with your intelligent adaptive cruise control and lane-centering systems, allowing you to take your hands off the steering wheel while it maintains cruising speed and keeps you in your current lane.” It went on to say: “If you do not react to the warnings the system will cancel, gently pump the brakes to get your attention and slow your vehicle down while maintaining steering control.” Last year the government seemed to be planning to class cars equipped with Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS) as self-driving. That hasn’t happened so far. Ford itself describes BlueCruise as Level 2 driver assistance, and Transport Minister Jesse Norman made clear: “The latest advanced driver assistance systems make driving smoother and easier, but they can also help make roads safer.” Unfortunately, and rather predictably, much of the UK media has again confused assisted driving and self-driving. The Guardian went with “First hands-free self-driving system approved for British motorways,” The Sun with “Huge car firm is launching the UK’s first-approved self-driving technology.” Various outlets even regurgitated the line from the press release that BlueCruise can operate up to 80mph. Not on UK roads presumably! This lack of clarity is dangerous. Lives are at stake and road safety should be paramount. Another Ford video shows a driver happily gazing out of the window and being warned to “watch the road.” As the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Connected and Automated Mobility stated in its red lines: “A statutory definition of self-driving must be established to distinguish this technology from assisted driving”. Bolt from the blue oval: hands-free Ford is UK 1st but NOT self-driving Neil Kennett looks at cutting-edge auto tech coming to a workshop near you soon AFTERMARKET OF THE FUTURE A commentator on the UK aftermarket since before Concorde was grounded, Neil is Editor of Carsofthefuture.co.uk, providing news and views about driverless vehicles, and Director of Communications at Selfdrivingpr.com, experts in automotive/autonomous media and public relations
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