An investigation is underway into fatal crashes involving Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free system

The hands-free driver assistance system, BlueCruise, developed by Ford, is currently under investigation by federal safety regulators. This investigation was initiated due to its involvement in two recent fatal crashes.

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has officially verified that BlueCruise was operational during both accidents. One crash took place in February in Texas, while the other occurred in early April in Pennsylvania. These are the initial documented deaths resulting from accidents involving the use of BlueCruise.

The investigation intensifies the examination of BlueCruise, a feature currently offered on the Mustang Mach-E, as well as specific models of Ford F-150s (including the Lightning), Explorers, and Expeditions. An invesThe National Transportation Safety Board has already started an investigation into the Texas crash.It said that it is collaborating with NHTSA to assist in its investigation.

The recent probe was initiated shortly after ODI concluded its most prominent investigation into driver-assistance systems to date. In 2021, the safety agency commenced an inquiry into Tesla’s Autopilot system following numerous accounts of Tesla vehicles colliding with stationary emergency vehicles while the drivers were utilizing Autopilot. ODI concluded its investigation by stating that there was a significant safety issue arising from the disparity between drivers’ assumptions about the capabilities of Autopilot and its actual capabilities. This discrepancy led to predictable misuse and preventable accidents.

In 2021, Ford introduced BlueCruise. The feature is exclusively accessible on pre-determined highways, and Ford combines it with a camera-based driver monitoring system that verifies if the driver’s gaze remains focused on the road while the system is engaged. These constraints impose significantly stricter limitations on the system compared to Tesla’s restrictions on the use of Autopilot.

However, despite receiving high ratings from sources such as Consumer Reports, the occurrence of recent crashes and subsequent investigations indicate the possibility of a deeper underlying issue with advanced driver assistance systems that certain companies may be reluctant to acknowledge.

Update: This story has been revised to incorporate Ford’s response.