The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating two fatal crashes involving two separate Ford Mustang Mach-Es that crashed into stationary vehicles, killing three people. In at least one of the crashes, Ford's BlueCruise hands-free driver assistance system was activated at the time of the crash, while the second is under investigation.
See also: Ford: Heading towards hybrid technology
The first fatality occurred in San Antonio, Texas, after a 44-year-old driver of a Mustang Mach-E using the driver-assist system crashed into a Honda, killing 56-year-old co-driver . Another Mach-E driver was involved in a fatal crash in Philadelphia on March 3, although it is not yet known whether the Ford BlueCruise played a role.
The Texas incident involved a driver of a 2022 Mach E who struck a 1999 Honda CR-V that was stopped in the middle lane of I-10 without its lights on around 9:50 p.m.The second accident near Philadelphia, in which two people were killed, involved a Mach-E that struck two stationary vehicles on Interstate 95 at 3:13 a.m. on March 3.Both drivers of the stationary cars were killed, and one of the victims may have been standing outside car , the Associated Press reports.
See also: Ford: Moves towards a more affordable approach to EV vehicles
Regarding the February accident, the NTSB reports that “based on data obtained from the vehicle, the driver had put the vehicle in Ford BlueCruise mode prior to the collision.”
While the Honda driver died, the Mustang driver suffered minor injuries and police found no signs of intoxication. According to the NTSB report, a witness traveling in the center lane in front of the Mach-E reported seeing the Honda in the center lane and that the car had no taillights or hazard lights. After changing lanes to avoid hitting the car, he saw another vehicle crash into the Honda.
The NTSB has released a preliminary report on its investigation, with the final report likely to be released in a year or two.
See also: On the Auction Track: Impressive Fords in Scottsdale
Ford BlueCruise is a driver assistance system that provides hands-free operation in certain driving conditions. This means that the driver can take their hands off the wheel in certain situations, while the car continues to move safely .In addition, BlueCruise constantly monitors the driver’s attention via a camera system mounted on the dashboard. If the system detects that the driver is not paying attention to the road for a significant period of time, it will trigger alerts to bring their attention back. Ford BlueCruise also uses road recognition technology to adjust the car’s speed depending on road conditions. This may include adjusting the speed for curves, intersections or other points on the road that require attention.
Source: electrek
