Hands OFF the wheel! Self-drive revolution is here

GOOGLE’S fully autonomous ‘bubbles’ are still a few years away, but self-driving cars are already here. However, if you’re not yet ready to hand over control to your car, there are a host of technologies which allow it to handle aspects such as parking. These ‘driving assistants’ are popular and are now filtering down to the most affordable vehicles.

SELF-STEERING Look for it on: Volvo S90

Relinquishing control of the steering requires total faith in your car, but only Tesla’s Autopilot system allows you to keep your hands off the wheel. Self-steering systems require drivers to ‘check in’ at least every 30 seconds but the one on the Volvo S90 (above) doesn’t just operate in slowmoving traffic – it will operate well beyond the speed limit too.

SELF-PARKING Look for it on: Mercedes E-class

Tap a button on the dashboard and sensors will search out a big enough parking space. Once you’ve been alerted, the car takes over. The Mercedes E-Class even goes a stage further, letting you park your car remotely via an app.

LANE DEPARTURE WARNING Look for it on: Vauxhall Corsa, Volkswagen Golf

This is often offered with a blind-spot indicator, which uses sensors mounted in the wing mirrors to alert you to cars or motorcycles you might not otherwise see. Lane departure warning systems use forward-facing cameras to track the lane markings on motorways. If you’re drifting out of your lane without indicating, the system will let you know with a chime, or by vibrating the steering wheel or your seat.