Ford Mustang Mach-E Crash Reveals Use of BlueCruise System
A recent crash involving a Mustang Mach-E in Texas has raised concerns about Ford’s hands-free driver assistance system, BlueCruise. According to data obtained by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the driver of the Mustang was using BlueCruise at the time of the accident, which resulted in a fatality. This marks the first known death involving the use of BlueCruise, which Ford unveiled last year. The system allows drivers to remove their hands from the wheel on pre-mapped highways and relies on eye-tracking technology to ensure driver attention.
The NTSB’s revelation about BlueCruise’s involvement in the Texas crash comes just after another fatal accident near Philadelphia, where Ford’s driver assistance system may have also been active. This incident has prompted further scrutiny of the automaker’s technology. Similar to Tesla’s Autopilot, Ford’s system is now under investigation by the NTSB and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It is worth noting that NHTSA has been examining multiple crashes involving Tesla vehicles and their Autopilot feature for several years.
The Texas crash occurred on Interstate 10, just outside of San Antonio. A 1999 Honda CR-V was stationary in the center lane without its lights on when the Mustang Mach-E collided with it around 9:50 PM CT. The impact caused the Honda to flip over and end up in the left lane. The NTSB confirmed that the Mustang driver had been operating the vehicle in BlueCruise mode prior to the accident. Tragically, the 56-year-old driver of the Honda passed away after being transported to a local medical center, while the Mustang driver suffered minor injuries. Police did not find any signs of intoxication in the Mustang driver. Interestingly, another driver narrowly missed colliding with the Honda just moments before the Mustang crashed into it.
The NTSB has released a preliminary report on the incident and is currently conducting a thorough investigation. A final report is expected to be published within the next 12 to 24 months. The NHTSA is also looking into the Texas crash, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.