Investigation Details
The is upgrading its investigation into 129,222 Ford vehicles equipped with BlueCruise, focusing on two fatal crashes involving the . This step follows initial probes into the system's limitations.
BlueCruise, Ford's hands-free driving technology, uses a camera-based driver monitoring system and operates on 97% of U.S. and Canadian highways. The agency aims to assess the system's ability to detect stationary vehicles at highway speeds, especially at night.
Advanced Analysis and Reactions
The engineering analysis will involve deeper investigations, including vehicle evaluations and technical information reviews, to understand BlueCruise's performance limitations, particularly in poor visibility conditions.
Ford has not yet commented on the NHTSA's escalation of the probe. The BlueCruise system, introduced in 2021, is part of Ford's efforts to compete with other hands-free driving technologies in the market.