Nevertheless, BlueCruise’s introduction to the UK market will open the door for many other car makers to follow suit. BMW has already said it will offer “address-to-address” level two-plus capability on its Neue Klasse EVs, due from 2025. This will, like BlueCruise, be offered via a software update for those willing to pay. 

Elsewhere, Mercedes-Benz is making gains with level three technology, which doesn’t require the driver’s full attention. Germany and the US state of Nevada have given permission for the car maker to use its Drive Pilot on public roads. The system, fitted to the latest Mercedes-Benz S-Class and EQS, is capable of taking control over driving at speeds of up to 40mph.

What is BlueCruise like on UK roads?

Hands off, eyes on: simple in theory but it’s fairly unnerving to try it for the first time – not least because drivers of passing cars don’t know you’re in control of the car. We clocked a couple of suspicious glances from fellow road users and half-wondered whether we might appear on a YouTube compilation of ‘awful UK drivers’ in the next few weeks – but obviously this is all above board, so smugness soon prevails over anxiety. 

BlueCruise is essentially an enhanced version of adaptive cruise control – and works in a very similar way. You can put your hands where you want to, which is relaxing, but because the in-car camera constantly tracks your eye movements, you can’t fully disengage from the act of driving and it’s hard to gauge just how life-changing this tech will be. It’s not like you can read a book or catch up on emails.

That said, it doesn’t take long for the system to demonstrate its efficacy and intelligence, and you can quickly relax into the journey, safe in the knowledge the car is in control. Well, sort of: UK law has it that the bag of flesh in the driver’s seat is still responsible for the car’s actions, and insurance companies take the same view in the event of an incident. 

Look away for a few seconds and the system will quickly advise you to “watch the road”, and if it senses persistent distraction or irregular road conditions, it hands control back to the driver. It seems to work flawlessly on free-flowing motorways up to the legal limit, but as with standard adaptive cruise control, it will probably feel natural to put your hands back on the wheel when the driving situation feels like it demands a more ‘human’ touch.