The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has confirmed it is investigating Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free driving tech after the regulator found the tech was active in two Mustang Mach-E’s that ran into parked vehicles.
Both collisions occurred after dark, with each incident resulting in a fatality. The NHTSA received the reports of the accidents involving two Ford Mustang Mach-E SUVs.
The NHTSA Office of Defects (ODI) investigation will be assessing BlueCruise’s ability to control the car in real-time and monitor the driver. Ford offers the tech as a hands-free Level 2 autonomous vehicle (AV) solution, meaning a human driver is still responsible for the car when activated.
After completing the preliminary evaluation, the NHTSA will decide whether to close the investigation or proceed to the next stage, potentially the third one this year.
The National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) opened a probe into BlueCruise last month over a fatal accident that occurred in February. It involved a Mustang Mach-E and Honda CRV, with the CRV flipping onto its roof, killing the driver. The second investigation was in April by the NTSB after another Mustang Mach-E crashed into two stationary cars, recording a fatality. The agency determined BlueCruise was engaged before each of the accidents.
Ford claims BlueCruise works on about 130,000 miles of highways.
You can read the full ODI Resume below.
INOA-PE24012-12041
