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. The NTSB concluded that the drivers’ overreliance on the automated system contributed to both crashes.
The NTSB found several gaps in safety and oversight of partial automation systems. There are no federal requirements for these systems to record data during crashes, which often means that manufacturers lack the needed information to comply with NHTSA’s standing general order requiring them to report crashes involving this technology.