NHTSA is opening an investigation into Ford’s BlueCruise after the program was linked to a fatal crash

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a formal investigation into Ford’s BlueCruise driver assistance program after it was linked to multiple deaths while it was in use. It includes two 2024 incidents that the National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating — one in San Antonio and the other in Philadelphia.

NHTSA’s Office of Defect Investigation details that the Ford vehicles involved in the fatal accident hit stationary objects including vehicles stopped in the driveway on the highway. Ford’s BlueCruise enables hands-free driving on pre-planned highways and uses cameras to monitor drivers and keep its vehicles on track. The system was introduced in 2021 in cars like the Mustang Mach-E, which is the model mentioned in both events.

The official investigation into the crashes involving BlueCruise comes days after a new NHTSA investigation was opened into whether a recall of Tesla’s Autopilot driver-assistance software did enough to increase driver involvement and protect lives. Meanwhile, NHTSA also noted Tesla’s Pilot and its “Full Self-Driving” feature, which promises that cars can achieve autonomous driving under supervision, does not keep drivers involved enough.

Ford told it TechCrunch that it is “working with NHTSA to assist in its investigation.” Regulators will look to determine whether Ford’s driver monitoring system is doing enough to keep users engaged while BlueCruise and Ford’s Co-Pilot360 software (a precursor to BlueCruise on previous models) are in use.