- Federal regulators are investigating Ford's BlueCruise system following two fatal crashes.
- The probe comes amid increased scrutiny of automated driving-assistance systems.
- Tesla's Autopilot is also under investigation after hundreds of collisions.
Federal auto regulators are looking into Ford Motor's driver-assistance system following two fatal crashes that the safety agency linked to the automation technology.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into Ford's BlueCruise system, according to an agency filing made public Monday.
Both accidents involved a Mustang Mach-E electric vehicle crashing into a stationary car while on a freeway during lightning conditions at night, according to the agency. An initial agency review confirmed that BlueCruise was in use before both collisions.
One person died in a February collision in San Antonio, and two people died in a Philadelphia crash in March, The Associated Press reported.
A spokesperson for Ford told Business Insider the automaker was working with the NHTSA to support the investigation.
The investigation comes as the auto industry ramps up scrutiny of automated driving-assistance systems amid a boom in the new, imperfect technology.
Earlier this month, the NHTSA launched a second probe into Tesla's popular driving assistance software, Autopilot, after several accidents involving the system. The agency is investigating whether Tesla's December recall of 2 million vehicles installed with Autopilot had adequately addressed the safety risks.
In a recent report, the agency said it investigated 956 Tesla crashes between 2018 and 2023 in which the agency found Autopilot was involved, resulting in 29 fatalities.
Tesla has not publicly commented on the new probe. Tesla did not immedatiely respond to a request for comment from BI.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested 14 driving automation systems across nine manufacturers for a March study and found that the "hands-free" devices can create new safety risks by allowing drivers to become easily distracted. Nearly all of the systems, including Ford's, scored low marks.
Driving assistance systems aren't fully autonomous yet and typically monitor steering, braking, and acceleration on highways, though Ford and other car companies have stressed the importance of driver attention even while the software is in use.
The NHTSA investigation into BlueCruise will determine how well the software does various driving tasks and evaluate its camera-based monitoring system.