US safety regulators expand Ford hands-free driving tech investigation

Investigation and Findings - The US federal safety regulator has upgraded its investigation into Ford's BlueCruise system, a step required before a recall can be issued [1] - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched a probe into BlueCruise in April after confirming its involvement in two fatal crashes involving Ford Mustang Mach E vehicles [1] - NHTSA has upgraded the investigation to an engineering analysis, which includes deeper evaluation of BlueCruise, vehicle assessments, and analysis of crash and non-crash reports [2] - The initial investigation found limitations in BlueCruise's ability to detect stationary vehicles under certain conditions, particularly at speeds of 62 mph or higher [3] - System performance may also be limited in poor visibility conditions due to insufficient illumination [4] BlueCruise System Details - BlueCruise was introduced in 2021 on the 2021 F-150 pickup truck and certain 2021 Mustang Mach-E models [5] - The system uses cameras, radar sensors, and software to provide adaptive cruise control, lane centering, and speed-sign recognition [5] - BlueCruise is a hands-free system, with an in-cabin camera monitoring drivers to ensure their eyes remain on the road [5] - Approximately 129,222 Ford Mustang Mach E vehicles are equipped with BlueCruise [3] Industry Context - BlueCruise and GM's Super Cruise are considered competitors to Tesla Autopilot, which still requires drivers to keep their hands on the wheel [6] - Tesla Autopilot and Full Self-Driving software are less constrained than BlueCruise, which operates only on certain pre-mapped highways [6] - NHTSA is also investigating Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software following four reported crashes in low-visibility situations, including one fatal pedestrian incident [7]