Ford Mustang Mach-E Had BlueCruise On During Fatal Texas Crash, Investigators Say
In February of this year, a 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E collided with a stationary Honda CR-V on a Texas highway. Tragically, the Honda driver sustained fatal injuries, while the Mach-E driver survived with minor injuries.
The impact was so significant that it turned the CR-V into a twisted piece of metal and caused substantial damage to the front of the Mach-E, leading to an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The NTSB has now confirmed in a preliminary report that the Mach-E was using BlueCruise, Ford’s Level 2 driving assistance system, at the time of the crash. This system is comparable to Tesla‘s Autopilot and is designed to operate on a vast network of controlled-access highways in the U.S. and Canada.
The collision occurred on the night of February 24, 2024, on Interstate 10 (I-10) in San Antonio, Texas. The CR-V was stationary in the center of the highway with its lights off when the Mach-E, traveling at the speed limit, struck it from behind, causing it to overturn.
The BlueCruise system, which Ford describes as “hands-free,” is meant to reduce driving stress by taking control of acceleration, braking, and steering on specific highways. However, it falls under the Level 2 classification, which requires constant driver supervision and readiness to intervene at any time.
This incident is the first of two ongoing NTSB investigations into the Mach-E’s driving assistance system. The second crash occurred in Philadelphia, where a Mach-E with BlueCruise active collided with two stationary vehicles, resulting in the death of both drivers.
As more Electric vehicles equipped with driving assistance systems hit the roads, incidents like these are becoming more common. Multiple investigations involving Tesla’s Autopilot and Full-Self Driving systems are also currently in progress.