The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has intensified its investigation into Ford's BlueCruise system, advancing it to an engineering analysis. This move comes after the agency confirmed the involvement of BlueCruise in two fatal collisions involving Ford Mustang Mach E vehicles. The investigation, initially launched in April, focuses on potential limitations within the system that may pose safety risks.
BlueCruise, a hands-free driving technology, is currently installed in approximately 129,222 Ford Mustang Mach E vehicles. The NHTSA has identified specific limitations in the system's "detection of stationary vehicles in certain conditions," which could lead to safety threats. Particularly concerning is BlueCruise's tendency to falsely identify stationary objects at long distances when traveling at speeds above 62 miles per hour. Additionally, poor visibility due to insufficient illumination may further impair system performance.
"Additionally, system performance may be limited when there is poor visibility due to insufficient illumination" – NHTSA
In response to these concerns, NHTSA is conducting thorough evaluations of vehicles, analyzing technical data, and reviewing both crash and non-crash reports related to BlueCruise. Ford has expressed its commitment to cooperating with the investigation, as a spokesperson confirmed the automaker's collaboration with NHTSA.
The evolving landscape of autonomous driving technology sees BlueCruise competing with systems like General Motors' Super Cruise and Tesla's Autopilot. Both BlueCruise and Super Cruise offer hands-free capabilities, while utilizing in-cabin cameras to ensure drivers maintain attention on the road. Unlike Tesla's systems, which require hands on the wheel, BlueCruise operates only on pre-mapped highways.
This recent escalation in investigation mirrors a similar probe NHTSA opened last October into Tesla's "Full Self-Driving (Supervised)" software following four crashes under low-visibility conditions. Despite Tesla's systems being less restricted than BlueCruise, these incidents highlight ongoing concerns about semi-autonomous driving technologies' safety.
BlueCruise made its debut in 2021, featured in the 2021 F-150 pickup truck and select Mustang Mach-E models. The system's involvement in fatal crashes, where Mustang Mach E vehicles collided with stationary cars, has prompted heightened scrutiny. As the investigation progresses, Ford continues to collaborate with NHTSA to address these safety issues.
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