The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a preliminary investigation into Ford Motor Company’s hands-free driving technology known as BlueCruise. This probe was initiated following two incidents involving Mustang Mach-E cars colliding with stationary vehicles, resulting in at least one fatality each. Both collisions occurred in nighttime lighting conditions, prompting the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation to examine the performance of the BlueCruise system during dynamic driving and driver monitoring.
Ford Motor has not yet issued a statement in response to the investigation. Meanwhile, the NHTSA has opened an investigation into Tesla’s recall of over 2 million vehicles announced in December to add new Autopilot safeguards. This investigation covers various Tesla models in the U.S. equipped with Autopilot technology produced between 2012 and 2024. The NHTSA’s concerns arose from crash events following the software update and preliminary tests on remedied vehicles.
As a result of these investigations, shares of Ford Motor were up 0.39% in premarket trading on Monday. Both Ford and Tesla are under scrutiny regarding their automated driving technologies, highlighting the importance of thorough safety evaluations in the development of these systems.
In conclusion, both Ford and Tesla are facing investigations for their automated driving technologies due to safety concerns that need to be addressed immediately. As these companies continue to develop and implement autonomous systems, it is crucial that they prioritize safety above all else to prevent any further accidents or fatalities on our roads.
