The highest federal automobile security regulator has despatched Ford an exhaustive list of questions about its hands-free driver-assistance system referred to as BlueCruise. It’s the tradition growth in an investigation that began more than one year ago following two deadly crashes involving the software program.
The Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration’s (NHTSA) Workplace of Defects Investigation (ODI) despatched a letter to Ford on June 18 that accommodates 25 questions. Lots of them are fundamental, akin to asking Ford for an in depth checklist of autos which were geared up with BlueCruise. However the NHTSA additionally desires inside Ford paperwork associated to the crashes that sparked the probe, the event of BlueCruise, descriptions of any modifications made to the software program, and rather more.
It’s the primary “data request” that the NHTSA has despatched Ford because it upgraded the investigation in January to a stage referred to as an “engineering evaluation.” That development is a required step earlier than NHTSA can ask Ford to concern a recall.
A Ford spokesperson advised TechCrunch the corporate is working with the NHTSA to assist this investigation.
The ODI opened the investigation in April 2024 after two fatal crashes. In every of these incidents, the drivers have been utilizing BlueCruise after they crashed into autos that have been stationary. They have been the primary identified fatalities ensuing from crashes involving the usage of BlueCruise.
Ford solely permits drivers to make use of BlueCruise on pre-mapped highways. The hands-free system makes use of cameras, radar sensors, and software program to deal with steering, velocity, and braking on sure highways. The software program is paired with an in-cabin digicam with an eye-tracking system that’s supposed to make sure drivers are being attentive to the highway forward. The system, which costs $495 a year or $2,495 as a one-time buy, is accessible within the Ford Explorer, Ford Expedition, Ford F-150 truck, and the all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E.
The crashes in early 2024 raised the query of how succesful Ford’s system is at recognizing stationary objects — an issue that has plagued Tesla’s personal driver-assistance software program for years.
The NHTSA mentioned in January, when it upgraded the investigation, that it has found “limitations within the detection of stationary autos in sure circumstances” and that BlueCruise’s efficiency “could also be restricted when there may be poor visibility resulting from inadequate illumination.” (Each deadly crashes occurred at evening.)
Within the new letter, the NHTSA has requested Ford for extra details about the BlueCruise software program’s “logic and/or algorithms used within the detection and classification of hazards in entrance of” the automobile.
Ford has till August 6 to submit its responses to the 25 questions or face civil penalties.