Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated an investigation into Ford Motor Company’s BlueCruise driver-assisted technology following a series of fatal crashes linked to the software. The NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation announced on April 25 that they are examining the Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles equipped with the Co-Pilot360 Active 2.0 software, manufactured between 2021 and 2024, that were involved in the incidents under investigation.
The investigation will focus on evaluating the performance of the BlueCruise system in handling the dynamic driving task and driver monitoring. Ford has stated that they are cooperating with the NHTSA to support the ongoing investigation into the technology’s role in the accidents. Two fatal crashes that occurred in San Antonio, Texas, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, earlier this year are currently being looked into by the NHTSA.
Introduced by Ford in 2021, the BlueCruise technology enables a hands-free driving experience on certain pre-mapped highways and roads. The NHTSA’s report highlighted instances where vehicles equipped with the BlueCruise system collided with stationary objects, resulting in fatalities. The crashes took place at nighttime under specific lighting conditions, raising concerns about the safety and effectiveness of the driver-assisted technology.
Ford’s CEO, Jim Farley, has previously praised the BlueCruise system as a profitable venture for the company, emphasizing its innovative technology. Despite reaching significant milestones in terms of hands-free driving miles, concerns over the system’s performance have prompted the NHTSA to investigate further. The agency’s scrutiny of Ford’s BlueCruise technology comes amidst a broader focus on the safety and regulation of autonomous driving features in the automotive industry.
In recent months, the NHTSA has been actively involved in investigating various vehicle-related issues, including a probe into Tesla’s Autopilot feature and a Ford recall of SUVs due to potential safety hazards. The increasing reliance on advanced driver-assisted technologies like BlueCruise raises questions about their efficacy and the need for stringent oversight to ensure the safety of drivers and passengers on the road. As the investigation unfolds, stakeholders in the automotive industry will be closely monitoring the NHTSA’s findings and recommendations regarding Ford’s BlueCruise driver-assisted technology.