NTSB Finds Ford's BlueCruise Driver Assistance System At Fault For Two Fatal Collisions

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has held Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) liable for two fatal collisions involving its BlueCruise Driver Assistance system.

Two 2024 Fatal Crashes

In a statement released on Tuesday by the agency, the NTSB said that Ford’s BlueCruise system failed to “stop for stationary vehicles” in 2024. The probe found that the system was ineffective in detecting driver distraction or disengagement and that it failed to differentiate between attention to the road and attention to objects blocking visibility.

The first incident took place in February 2024 in San Antonio with a stationary vehicle, which resulted in the death of the driver, while the Ford driver sustained minor injuries. The second crash happened in March 2024 when a Ford vehicle struck two cars in Philadelphia on Interstate 95, causing them to collide with a third vehicle.

The drivers of the Prius and Elantra, struck by the Ford vehicle, died in the accident, while the Ford driver sustained minor injuries. The third vehicle’s driver was uninjured. “In both crashes, no driver-applied or system-initiated braking or steering was recorded in the moments before impact,” the report said.

Several Gaps In Regulation

NTSB chairwoman Jennifer Homendy urged the need for “stronger safety standards” and better oversight of Driver Assistance systems.

“Manufacturers and federal regulators must ensure these technologies are designed, monitored and implemented in ways that keep all our road users safe,” she said, adding that the decisions for the regulations were important because “lives depend on it.”

The agency shared it had found “several gaps in safety and oversight of partial automation systems.” NTSB shared that there were no requirements for reporting data during crashes, which means that “manufacturers lack the needed information to comply with NHTSA's standing general order,” which requires them to report crashes involving automated systems.

NTSB issued guidelines for Ford, NHTSA and the Department of Transportation (DOT). The guidelines include “stronger federal guidelines” and “performance standards for safety features,” as well as “crash data recording and automatic crash notification requirements.”

NTSB also said that there was a need for “improved driver monitoring systems” and changes to Ford's BlueCruise system to “reduce excessive speeding and improve driver attention.”

Ford’s Eyes Off Tech

The news comes as Ford has planned to offer its "eyes-off" technology in 2028 via the company’s Universal EV Platform. The Universal EV Platform will form the basis of the automaker’s company’s $30,000 EV and will offer “L3 eyes-off driving” by 2028, the company said.

NHTSA Tesla Investigation

Meanwhile, NHTSA is also investigating Tesla Inc.‘s (NASDAQ:TSLA) Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, with a potential recall for Tesla vehicles on the cards. However, the agency had earlier denied a petition seeking a recall for Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD.

Price Action: Ford shares gained 2.94% to $11.54 at market close on Tuesday, climbing 0.18% to $11.56 during the overnight trading session.

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