The Nationwide Transportation Security Board is investigating an incident involving Ford’s hands-free driver-assist system after a Mustang Mach-E driver crashed into one other automobile in Texas, killing the occupant. A second deadly crash involving a Mach-E occurred in Philadelphia, though it’s not identified whether or not the driver-assist system performed a job. Each crashes concerned Mach-Es crashing into stationary automobiles.
The primary incident occurred at 9:50PM on February twenty fourth exterior of San Antonio, Texas. In keeping with a preliminary report from NTSB, the 44-year-old driver of the Mustang Mach-E was touring eastbound on Interstate 10 when he rear-ended a stationary Honda CRV. The 56-year-old Honda driver was killed within the crash.
“Based mostly on knowledge obtained from the automobile, the motive force had been working the automobile in BlueCruise mode earlier than the crash,” NTSB states.
BlueCruise is Ford’s hands-free driver-assist system, wherein the automobile makes use of cameras and sensors to regulate the steering, acceleration, and braking on sure mapped highways.
However whereas drivers can take their fingers off the steering wheel and their toes off the pedals, they should maintain their eyes on the highway and be able to take management at a second’s discover. Ford stated that BlueCruise-equipped automobiles have already traveled over 100 million miles.
A second incident occurred in Philadelphia on March third. The Ford automobile collided with a Hyundai Elantra and Toyota Prius, each of which had been stationary in journey lanes on I-95 and had been struck from behind, in response to NTSB. Each drivers of the stationary automobiles had been killed, and one could have been exterior of their automobile, in response to The Related Press.
“Based mostly on knowledge obtained from the automobile, the motive force had been working the automobile in BlueCruise mode earlier than the crash.”
“There isn’t any precedence greater than security at Ford, and we now have been collaborating totally with each Nationwide Freeway Transportation Security Affiliation (NHTSA) and the Nationwide Transportation Security Board (NTSB) because the investigation into the February 24 incident continues,” Ford spokesperson Whitney Pineda stated in an announcement on the February twenty fourth crash. “Timing on a full report has not been introduced.”
On the March third crash, Pineda stated, “Ford was just lately made conscious of this incident by way of the Nationwide Transportation Security Board (NTSB) and have knowledgeable the Nationwide Freeway Transportation Security Affiliation (NHTSA) as required. We’re researching the occasions of March 3 and collaborating totally with each companies to know the information. We prolong our sympathies to these concerned.”
That is the primary investigation into Ford’s ADAS, which has been accessible since 2021. NTSB, which is an unbiased investigatory physique beneath the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration, has opened dozens of investigations into deadly crashes involving Tesla’s Autopilot — however that’s principally a perform of extra Tesla automobiles on the highway with superior driver help techniques than Ford.
However as extra BlueCruise-equipped Ford automobiles hit the highway, it stands to purpose there can be extra crashes — and extra investigations. Surveys present that many individuals have issue distinguishing between ADAS and totally automated driving techniques, which may result in overconfidence within the expertise. And there’s compelling proof that almost all driver-assist techniques are much less protected than regular human driving. Drivers are inclined to develop an overreliance on these techniques even after a brief interval of use. And when it’s time to take again management of the automobile, their response occasions are slower than what’s thought-about protected.
The federal authorities requires corporations to report cases of crashes involving superior driver help, however there’s presently no regulation prohibiting hands-free driving techniques. Most corporations put the authorized legal responsibility on the motive force in terms of crashes involving these techniques, arguing that they nonetheless want to concentrate to the highway when the motive force help is engaged. However Tesla just lately settled a lawsuit introduced by the household of a person killed when his Autopilot-equipped automobile crashed right into a concrete divider.