Drivers in fatal Ford BlueCruise crashes were likely distracted before impact

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released new information indicating that two drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2024 while using Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free driving system were likely distracted just before impact. The NTSB, which investigates transportation accidents but does not regulate the industry, will hold a public hearing on March 31, 2026, to discuss its findings and potentially issue recommendations to Ford. The crashes also prompted an ongoing investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which identified limitations in BlueCruise’s ability to detect stationary vehicles under certain conditions. Ford has consistently emphasized that BlueCruise is a convenience feature requiring drivers to remain attentive and ready to take control, warning that it is not a crash avoidance system. One of the crashes occurred in February 2024 in San Antonio, Texas, involving a 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E that collided with a stationary vehicle at about 74 mph. Data from Ford’s driver monitoring system showed the driver