States the Guardian.
Erm, no. If you actually read the article it says.
The driving-assist feature in Ford’s latest Mustang Mach-E model, which allows the vehicle to steer and accelerate but also monitors the driver’s attention to ensure their eyes are on the road, will be permitted by the Department for Transport in a first for Europe.
In fact later on it says.
Under BlueCruise, the car can automatically brake, accelerate and reposition in a lane
So the Fiat 500 Sport crossover "thing" I hired for my Aunt's funeral could do all of that. The only thing it would not do is let me take my hands off the wheel. It was pretty crap too as it bounced off the white lines from side to side making it more like a day out on a small boat than driving a car.
The really big news is that, now the UK has created legislation which allows Level 2 vehicles to drive your car within the boundaries of its capabilities, it should also open up to all other Level 2 systems. This means that the Tesla FSD Beta should now be available to use in the UK.
FSD Beta is not limited to the motorways, it can drive on virtually any metalled road and several non metalled roads. It also has the capability to monitor the driver and allow you to take your hands off the wheel and pedals. Something which is gradually being allowed in the US after 10,000 miles of experience with the system.
The key difference between blue cruise and adaptive cruise control is that it can stay in the lane smoothly, plus it will notify you to take over if it is reaching the limit of its abilities. So, in essence, little more than adaptive cruise control with a bit of smart steering within the same lane.
Now let's have a look at Tesla FSD.
here
I've chosen this video because it starts from a stopped vehicle actually off the road. It is everything you expect from self driving. Press the button to get attention and tell it where you want to go, press the screen to verify and off it goes. The driver is allowed to take both hands and feet off and let the vehicle drive, only being monitored by the camera.
This is version 11.3.6, just released to a limited pool of testers. The driver is making comparisons which are obvious. The only part which is not obvious to the novice is the down to 0 stop at every stop sign. Humans in California don't do this they do what they call a "rolling stop" essentially a give way or Yield in their parlance. FSD was also doing this until the HNTSA (highway safety), got on their high horse and demanded that Tesla FSD drop to 0mph and stop at every single stop sign. So Tesla complied, to the undying irritation of Californio drivers.
This video shows you how self driving is supposed to work. No "geofencing" (only working in areas that have been milimeter mapped by laser equipped cars), just reading the road and driving.
Hopefully that will expand to the UK too now that the UK has allowed Level 2 driving. OK FSD Beta is not Level 2, it is Level 5 in training, but by demanding the driver remain fully alert and able to take over, FSD beta falls within the Level 2 bracket and so can be used.
You can see the ford Blue Cruise video here
What happens when Tesla under FSD detects that the driver is no longer driving the vehicle? First it warns you, then if you still don't respond it safely pulls you off the road, stops with the hazards on and if correctly configured, calls the emergency services. As things advance it can easily be configured to take you to the nearest hospital.
The future has arrived. Now we need to get used to it as it is only going to improve and grow.