On April 30th, according to reports from US media, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the top regulatory agency in the American automotive industry, revealed in documents published on its official website on Monday that it had initiated a preliminary investigation into Ford's BlueCruise driving system last week.
It is understood that the Ford BlueCruise driving system, similar to Tesla's Autopilot, is also a Level 2 autonomous driving assistance system. Its main selling point is allowing the driver to take their hands off the steering wheel, enabling the vehicle to drive automatically (including adaptive cruise control, lane change assist, lane centering, etc.). Currently, this system is installed on Ford's Mustang Mach-E and other SUVs.
Ford has also specified the areas where this system can be used, known as the "Blue Zone." Currently, 97% of highways in the United States and Canada are compatible, with 95% of highways in the UK also being usable.
NHTSA has set its sights on Ford for a similar reason to Tesla - serious accidents involving their Advanced Driver Assistance System.
In February and early April this year, two accidents occurred in Texas and Pennsylvania involving two Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles equipped with BlueCruise. Both accidents occurred at night when the vehicles collided with stationary cars on the highway, resulting in a total of 3 fatalities.
Ford introduced BlueCruise in 2021, which is only available on pre-mapped highways. While it allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel, the system is paired with a camera that monitors the driver, ensuring their eyes remain on the road. If the system detects the driver is no longer paying attention, it issues a warning. If the driver ignores the warning, the system intervenes by applying the brakes to slow down and alert the driver.
