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The company says the system isn’t fully autonomous and it monitors drivers to make sure they pay attention to the road. It operates on 97% of controlled access highways in the US and Canada, Ford says. It operates on 97% of controlled access highways in the U.S. and Canada, Ford says.
Tesla Autopilot
Data from the 2022 Mustang Mach E SUV showed that Ford’s “Blue Cruise” driver-assist system was in use ahead of the Feb. 24 crash, according to a preliminary report released Thursday by the National Transportation Safety Board. Tesla recently settled a lawsuit over a 2018 crash that killed an Apple engineer. In that case, Tesla maintained that the driver had failed to stay alert and take over driving before the crash.
Driver in fatal Texas crash was using Ford’s auto driving system, officials say
As the production of cars gets more advanced, throwing down more horsepower and torque than ever before, safety systems also get more advanced. One such push by automakers in recent years is the introduction of driver assistance systems. Super Cruise requests intervention when encountering unusual traffic situations, when exiting the highway and when merging into traffic, or at a stop or intersection, railroad crossing, or pedestrian crossing.
Plus, a Faraday Future whistleblower case and humanoid robots in car factories
Once the vehicle determines it's safe to go hands-free, it alerts the driver. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the driver of a Ford Mustang Mach-E who crashed into a stationary car in Texas in February was using the hands-free driver-assistance system known as BlueCruise. This is the first known fatality resulting from a crash involving the use of BlueCruise. The NTSB announcement came a day after the safety board announced it’s probing a second fatal crash near Philadelphia where Ford’s driver-assistance system may have been active.
The version I drove came in at $97,615, due to all sorts of options, like a 10-degree rear axle steering system, head-up display, air suspension, AMG exterior and a $1,250 driver-assistance system. A company spokeswoman wouldn’t comment on the NTSB report Thursday, deferring to a previous statement saying that Ford is cooperating in the investigations. Data from the 2022 Mustang Mach E SUV showed that Ford’s “Blue Cruise” driver-assist system was in use ahead of the Feb. 24 crash, according to a preliminary report released Thursday by the National Transportation Safety Board. Other companies have also struggled with attempts to produce self-driving or partially autonomous cars. Apple canceled its decade-long, multibillion-dollar effort to build a self-driving electric car earlier this year, following numerous setbacks in the program.
How Super Cruise performs
The federal government requires companies to report instances of crashes involving advanced driver assist, but there is currently no law prohibiting hands-free driving systems. Most companies put the legal liability on the driver when it comes to crashes involving these systems, arguing that they still need to pay attention to the road when the driver assist is engaged. But Tesla recently settled a lawsuit brought by the family of a man killed when his Autopilot-equipped vehicle crashed into a concrete divider. Both NHTSA and the NTSB have investigated multiple previous crashes involving partially automated driving systems, most involving Tesla’s Autopilot. In past investigations, the NTSB has examined how the system functioned. But as more BlueCruise-equipped Ford vehicles hit the road, it stands to reason there will be more crashes — and more investigations.
Autonomous vehicles
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating two fatal crashes involving two separate Ford Mustang Mach-Es crashing into stationary vehicles, where three people have died. In at least one of the crashes, Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free driver-assist system was activated at the time of the crash, while the second one is under preliminary investigation. DETROIT (AP) — The driver of a Ford electric SUV involved in a February fatal crash in Texas was using the company’s partially automated driving system before the wreck, federal investigators said Thursday. The driver of a Ford electric SUV involved in a February fatal crash in Texas was using the company’s partially automated driving system before the wreck, federal investigators said on Thursday.
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Ford's BlueCruise Hands-Free System Is the Subject of NTSB Probe - Car and Driver
Ford's BlueCruise Hands-Free System Is the Subject of NTSB Probe.
Posted: Mon, 18 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Tesla dropped the monthly subscription price of its “Supervised FSD” (formerly known as “FSD Beta”) to $99, down from $199, in a bid to get more dollars and data from drivers. Elon Musk’s decision to green-light a robotaxi over an affordable EV might cost the company its lead, TC reporter Tim De Chant writes. Meanwhile, Waymo officially launched paid rides in Los Angeles this week. We previously reported on California regulators’ approval of the Alphabet-owned company to charge for its robotaxi service in the city. The service is starting out small and will build based on demand and performance metrics, a Waymo spokesperson told TechCrunch.
Bluecruise does not have an auto lane change function yet, but Ford hasn't rolled it out yet. Level 3 essentially means that once the driver initiates the system and sits behind the wheel, the system takes over for the rest of the way without any intervention from the driver, until the system demands. Tesla has emerged as one of the industry leaders in automated driving in recent years, for better or worse. If you are unsure of which model will suit your needs, our sales team can help you figure it out. Your time is valuable, so we've made it easy for you to apply for financing, get a quote for your trade-in, and check the latest factory incentives and lease options online.
Level 2 has been identified as using active lane control and adaptive cruise control at the same time, with the driver maintaining control of these functions even if their hands are off the wheel. The agency said it intends to issue safety recommendations to prevent similar crashes. It has said it opened the inquiry due to continued interest in advanced driver assistance systems and how vehicle operators interact with the new technology. It has said it opened the probe due to continued interest in advanced driver assistance systems and how vehicle operators interact with the new technology.
During the crash, the driver of the Prius, who was outside his vehicle, also was struck and thrown into the southbound lanes, the release said. It was another wild week in the world of transportation, particularly in the EV startup and automated driving industries. BlueCruise is Ford’s hands-free driver-assist system, in which the vehicle uses cameras and sensors to control the steering, acceleration, and braking on certain mapped highways. A police news release on the crash says a criminal investigation is under way and a charge of homicide by motor vehicle while driving under the influence is possible against the 23-year-old woman driving the Mach E. During the crash, the driver of the Prius, who was outside of his vehicle, also was struck and thrown into the southbound lanes, the release said.
If the system detects the driver's eye or head position away from the road (such as looking down at a phone), the lightbar flashes green for a few seconds and requests the driver to pay attention and tap the steering wheel. If the driver does not pay attention, audible chimes, seat vibrations, and messaging in cluster will appear, before the lightbar flashes red. If there's still no reaction, Super Cruise goes into emergency mode and activates the hazards, applies the brakes to a stop, and alerts emergency services. I found BlueCruise simple enough to switch on behind the wheel of a Mach-E. You just turn on adaptive cruise control using a button on the steering wheel and drive through a Blue Zone.
The NHTSA has spent nearly three years investigating more than a dozen accidents involving Tesla drivers using Autopilot. This is the first investigation into Ford’s ADAS, but as with Tesla, as more of these are on the road, more crashes and investigations will surely take place. Tesla, for its part, recently settled a lawsuit bought on by the family of Apple engineer Walter Huang, who died when his Model X crashed using Autopilot in 2018. The latest update to Super Cruise includes an automatic lane change function for passing. If you're in the right lane with Super Cruise set at 70 mph, say, and the lead car is going 65 mph, the system will check to see if the passing lane is open, and if so, it will begin a lane change. Before it does an alert flashes in the cluster and the seat side vibrates, so if you’re shifting to the right the right side of the seat will vibrate.
Ford's BlueCruise 1.3 is a $2,100 option on the Mustang Mach-E, and BlueCruise 1.0 is a $1,995 option on the gas-powered F-150. For starters, BlueCruise is fairly limited in the scope of vehicles it's available on. It's only available on the Mustang Mach-E, the XLT, Lariat, Platinum, and Tremor trims of the F-150, Platinum, and Lariat trims of the EV F-150 Lightning, and Platinum trim models of the Ford Expedition. Additionally, it's available on both the Lincoln Corsair and Lincoln Navigator, regardless of trim level. The Pennsylvania state police said on Thursday that a Mach E was in the left lane when it struck a stationary Hyundai Elantra that earlier had collided with a Toyota Prius.
It employs lidar mapping, whereas Ford uses radar, which isn't as accurate or precise in detecting smaller objects. Originally called Active Drive Assist, Bluecruise (or Activeglide on Lincoln vehicles) didn't launch until the second half of 2021. The promise of a car driving itself in traffic while the operator tends to other business has never been closer to reality. And while the technology exists, the current infrastructure and legal framework keeps it at bay.
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