Proactive Investors - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)’s hands-free driving technology following two fatal incidents involving Ford’s all-electric Mustang Mach-E SUV vehicle.
In a preliminary evaluation published on 25 April, the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) highlighted two collisions occurring during nighttime lighting conditions, both of which resulted in “at least one fatality”.
The ODI’s evaluation centered on Ford’s BlueCruise hand-free driving software system introduced to Ford and Lincoln models from 2021 onwards.
It is not the first time this year that BlueCruise has been the subject of investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board is also looking into a fatal crash in February involving the driver-assistance program on Interstate Highway 10 in San Antonio, Texas.
Over 95% of motorways in the US are designated ‘Ford Blue Zones’, where BlueCruise can be activated.
In December, Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) was forced into its biggest-ever recall of two million EVs after the NHTSA determined its driver-assistance system Autopilot did not do enough to prevent misuse.
Despite the persistent issues with nascent self-driving technologies, Tesla is eyeing a roll-out of full self-driving (FSD) technology in China.
Shares of Ford were down around 3.5% on Tuesday morning.