WASHINGTON (March 31, 2026) – The National Transportation Safety Board called for standardized performance requirements and greater oversight to improve the safety of automated vehicle technology.
The NTSB investigated two fatal 2024 crashes in which vehicles using Ford Motor Company’s hands-free partial automation system, BlueCruise, failed to stop for stationary vehicles. In a public meeting Tuesday to consider the investigations, the NTSB concluded that the drivers’ overreliance on the automated system contributed to both crashes.
In a Feb. 24, 2024, crash in San Antonio, a Ford traveling east in the center lane of Interstate 10 struck a stationary 1999 Honda CR-V. The Honda driver was killed, and the Ford driver sustained minor injuries. In a March 3, 2024, crash in Philadelphia, a Ford traveling north in the left lane of Interstate 95 struck two stationary vehicles—a 2012 Hyundai Elantra and a 2006 Toyota Prius—causing them to collide with a passing Toyota Corolla. The drivers of the Prius and Elantra were killed. The Ford driver sustained minor injuries, and the Corolla driver was uninjured. In both crashes, no driver-applied or system-initiated braking or steering was
To report an incident/accident or if you are a public safety agency, please call 1-844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290 to speak to a Watch Officer at the NTSB Response Operations Center (ROC) in Washington, DC (24/7).
