The US National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into Ford’s hands-free driving technology following a fatal crash, in which the system may potentially have been involved.
As reported by KSAT, a driver of a Ford Mustang Mach-E was said to be travelling on Interstate 10 in San Antonio, Texas on 24 February. The driver reportedly came across a Honda CR-V stopped in the middle lane with its lights off, with the Ford rear-ending the Honda. The Honda driver, a 56-year-old man, later died in hospital from injuries sustained. The Mustang driver is reported to have escaped unharmed.
The NTSB has since confirmed it’s investigating Ford’s BlueCruise technology, which US-market Mustang Mach-Es are fitted with.
Ford Blue Cruise annotated demonstration
The technology allows the driver to travel with their hands removed from the steering wheel on certain stretches of roads, with the car taking over steering, braking and acceleration.
However, it has a monitoring system built-in which determines if a driver is paying attention based on eye movements. If the car clocks a driver is not paying attention, it will disengage the system. Blue Cruise is the first hands-free system to be approved for use on UK highways, but only on certain parts of the network.
As noted by The Drive, it’s the hands-free nature of the technology that could set this case apart from others before it. Previous investigations involving Tesla’s Autopilot system have determined Tesla’s monitoring systems were not sufficient enough, allowing drivers to become distracted before a crash.
Ford Blue Cruise in use
It’s unclear at this stage if Ford’s BlueCruise system was engaged when the crash happened, or what any potential outcome of the investigation could be. The NTSB has not stated a timeframe for the investigation at the time of writing.
Ford said in a statement: “We were recently made aware of this incident and extend our deepest sympathies to those involved. The complete facts of this event are not yet clear. Ford reported this incident to NHTSA as soon as we were made aware, and we are actively researching all available information. Safety is a top priority for all of us at Ford, and we will collaborate fully with any resulting investigation.”
