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Feds Probe Ford Motor’s Hands-Free System After Crash Deaths
https://www.whatjobs.com/news/usa/us-business-news/feds-probe-ford-motors-hands-free-system-after-crash-deaths
By Nithya Bose in Business News, posted April 30, 2024
US auto-safety regulators are probing Ford Motor's BlueCruise hands-free driving system after two fatal crashes where three people died.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it received notice of two incidents involving BlueCruise, Ford’s driver-assistance system.
In both cases, Ford Mustang Mach-E SUVs collided with stationary vehicles on highways at night, resulting in three fatalities.
In each case, the vehicles had BlueCruise engaged immediately before the collisions.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation looks into BlueCruise's ability to perform driving tasks and monitor drivers.
It covers around 130,000 vehicles from model years 2021 to 2024.
This investigation highlights growing concerns about driver-assistance technologies designed to automate specific driving tasks, such as braking, acceleration, and steering, to reduce the burden on drivers.
The probe into BlueCruise parallels NHTSA's intensified scrutiny of Tesla's Autopilot, a well-known driver-assist system.
NHTSA's scrutiny raises questions about the effectiveness of driver-monitoring systems like BlueCruise's eye-tracking camera, which aims to ensure drivers remain focused on the road.
A Ford spokeswoman said the company is cooperating with NHTSA in its investigation.
BlueCruise, available on several models, is designed for hands-free use on most US highways.
Investigation could lead to a recall or changes to the BlueCruise system
The Ford system had already been under NHTSA's radar, and special crash investigations had been launched into both fatal incidents.
These probes aim to understand individual crashes and new technologies.
A full defect investigation could lead to a recall or changes to the BlueCruise system.
NHTSA's previous probe opened in March and centered on a February crash in Texas involving a Ford SUV with partial automation engaged.
The second crash involving a Mustang Mach-E happened in Pennsylvania last month.
The investigation into driver-assistance systems reflects increased regulatory attention as more automakers integrate these features into new models.
A recent study showed that systems like Tesla's Autopilot and Ford's BlueCruise offer limited safety benefits, raising questions about their effectiveness.
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Tesla's Autopilot has faced significant scrutiny from NHTSA.
Investigations have uncovered a pattern of "avoidable crashes involving hazards visible to attentive drivers."
They link the system to hundreds of incidents and 14 fatalities.
Tesla continues to push its Full Self-Driving system, though it requires driver supervision despite its name.
Over the weekend, Tesla secured approval to launch this system in China.
Ford's BlueCruise, introduced a few years ago, operates on 97 percent of controlled-access highways across the US and Canada.
It features adaptive cruise control, automatic lane change, and driver-monitoring systems to allow hands-free driving.
The system's camera is designed to alert drivers if they lose focus, even for a few seconds.
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