The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Monday it has launched an investigation into 129,222 Ford Motor vehicles following reports of collisions involving the automaker’s hands-free driving system, BlueCruise.
The probe stems from notices of two fatal crashes involving Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles equipped with the BlueCruise technology. The system, designed for hands-free driving, uses a camera-based driver monitoring system to ensure attentiveness and is functional on 97% of highways in the United States and Canada that lack intersections or traffic signals.
The investigation highlights ongoing safety concerns as automakers increasingly introduce advanced driver assistance systems. BlueCruise is one of many technologies aimed at enhancing autonomous driving, alongside features like lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control.
The NHTSA has not yet determined whether a defect exists in the BlueCruise system but has initiated the investigation to assess potential risks and gather information on its operation.