Why am I seeing frequent “Watch the road” warnings while using Lincoln BlueCruise?
Vehicles equipped with Lincoln BlueCruise* use a driver-facing camera and infrared lighting to track your driving awareness. BlueCruise is designed to be an aid and does not relieve you of your responsibility to always remain alert.
The driver-facing camera is located between the steering column and the instrument panel. To find its exact position, please consult your Owner’s Manual.
BlueCruise must detect that your eyes are looking towards the forward road scene. BlueCruise will provide multiple reminders to watch the road, including visual prompts on the instrument cluster and an audible chime. Eventually, if you fail to respond, the vehicle will begin to slow down to approximately 5 mph.
If you experience frequent "Watch the road" warnings while using BlueCruise, possible reasons and recommended actions are listed below.
Top 3 Causes of “Watch the Road” Warnings
- Attention Directed to Driver’s Lap: Avoid looking at your phone or down at your lap. BlueCruise monitors head and eye position to help detect if you are distracted.
- Attention Directed to the Center Console or Head’s Up Display: If the Driver State Monitoring System detects you are not looking at the road for a certain period of time, depending on where you are looking, the system alerts you with a message on the instrument cluster display and an audible warning to return your eyes to the road.
- Driver-Facing camera is Unable to Detect You Clearly: Ensure the driving-facing camera has a clear view of your face. You may need to:
- Remove facial coverings.
- Adjust the seating position.
- Lower the steering column.
- Avoid leaning the seat back.
- Use sunglasses that are not dark, reflective, or infrared-blocking.
- Ensure your hands, arms, or other objects do not block the driver-facing camera.
Note: In some cases, the ambient lighting conditions may impact driver-facing camera performance.
Additional Information
*Available feature on BlueCruise-equipped vehicles. BlueCruise requires a Connected Services plan and modem activation. BlueCruise driver-assist features can be activated in hands-free Blue Zones and do not replace safe driving and driver’s need to control the vehicle. See lincoln.com/technology/bluecruise for more details on available plans and hands-free models.