Ford's BlueCruise hands-free vehicle is under scrutiny after a fatal crash

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a crash involving Ford's hands-free driver assistance system after the driver of a Mustang Mach-E collided with another vehicle in Texas, killing its passenger. A second fatal crash involving a Mach-E occurred in Philadelphia, although it is not known whether the driver assistance system played a role. Both crashes involved Mach-Es colliding with stationary vehicles.

The first incident It took place at 9:50 PM on February 24th outside of San Antonio, Texas. According to a preliminary report from the NTSB, the 44-year-old driver of a Mustang Mach-E was eastbound on Interstate 10 when he struck a stationary Honda CRV from behind. The 56-year-old Honda driver was killed in the crash.

“Based on data obtained from the vehicle, the driver was driving the vehicle in BlueCruise mode prior to the accident,” the NTSB said.

BlueCruise is Ford's hands-free driver assistance system, in which the vehicle uses cameras and sensors to control steering, acceleration and braking on certain highways.

But while drivers can take their hands off the wheel and their feet off the pedals, they need to keep their eyes on the road and be ready to take control at a moment's notice. Ford said BlueCruise-equipped vehicles have already traveled more than 100 million miles.

Another incident It happened in Philadelphia on March 3rd. The Ford collided with a Hyundai Elantra and a Toyota Prius, both of which were parked in the travel lanes of I-95 and were rear-ended, according to the NTSB. Both drivers of the parked cars were killed, one of whom may have been outside their car. according to Associated Press.

“There is no higher priority than safety at Ford, and we are fully cooperating with both the National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as the investigation into the February 24 accident continues,” Ford spokesman Whitney said. Pineda said in a statement regarding the Feb. 24 incident. “The timing of the full report has not been announced.”

Regarding the March 3 accident, Pineda said: “Ford recently learned of this accident through the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and notified the National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA) as required. We are researching the events of March 3 and are fully cooperating with “The two agencies understand the facts. We express our sympathy to those concerned.”

This is the first investigation into Ford's ADAS system, which has been available since 2021. The NTSB, an independent investigative body under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has opened dozens of investigations into fatal crashes involving Tesla's Autopilot — but these are in Mostly a job. More Tesla cars on the road with advanced driver assistance systems than Ford.

But as more BlueCruise-equipped Fords hit the road, it stands to reason that there will be more accidents — and more investigations. Surveys show that many people have difficulty distinguishing between advanced driver assistance systems and fully automated driving systems, which can lead to overconfidence in the technology. There is overwhelming evidence that most driver assistance systems are less safe than normal human driving. Drivers tend to become overly reliant on these systems even after a short period of use. When it comes time to regain control of the vehicle, their reaction times are slower than is considered safe.

The federal government requires companies to report collisions involving advanced driver assistance, but there is currently no law prohibiting hands-free driving systems. Most companies place legal responsibility on the driver when it comes to accidents involving these systems, arguing that they still need to pay attention to the road when the driver assistance system is engaged. But Tesla recently settled a lawsuit brought by the family of a man who was killed when his Autopilot-equipped car crashed into a concrete barrier.