Monday, April 1, 2024

Fords Blue Cruise driver-assist tech in use during fatal accident, crash investigators find

ford blue cruise availability

It starts in adaptive mode with lane centering, something that's indicated within the meter cluster by an icon of a steering wheel with hands on it. After the system finds its bearings, BlueCruise usually engages a few seconds later, with a large steering wheel icon emblazoned with "Hands-Free" taking up a sizable chunk of the digital gauges. This is nice because everything is clearly illustrated -- there's no ambiguity as to whether you need to steer or not. The clean iconography is also helpful for folks with color-blindness. BlueCruise is Ford's latest and greatest advanced driver-assistance feature.

Ford BlueCruise Rivals GM’s Super Cruise for Balancing Automation and Driver Monitoring

This options group is priced at $1,995, though BlueCruise -- and just about everything else -- is standard on the range-topping F-150 Limited. This hands-free driving aid is currently included in the $3,200 Comfort and Technology Package, which also bundles a bunch of other amenities. Higher-performance GT models offer BlueCruise in the $1,900 Ford Co-Pilot 360 Active 2.0 and 360-Degree Camera options group. If you get a vehicle equipped with BlueCruise, you'll be set for three years. After that, a separate subscription fee will be required, though Ford has not released any details about what this entails. Ford basically built a version of General Motors' groundbreaking Super Cruise, which launched in the Cadillac CT6 sedan and has been out for about five years.

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Whether you only have a few days for a sun-soaked escape or are planning a longer cruise getaway from Florida, you'll find plenty of ways to fill every moment of your vacation with new discoveries. 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. “But not on boring, straight stretches of highway or in stop-and-go traffic.” In those situations, BlueCruise can automate the steering, braking, and accelerating for you pretty well. During an interview with representatives from Ford, we were told that they “choose very carefully what to show drivers” in terms of messaging on the instrument cluster. But they also acknowledge that they’ve been listening to feedback from customers and “are looking at a future enhancement” to the system, although they wouldn’t elaborate on the details.

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Walk along the palm-lined “Strip” on State Road A1A to get your fill of beach bars, souvenir shops and outdoor restaurants. Fort Lauderdale cruises allow you to go full throttle on a Jet Ski®— or go parasailing high above the ocean. 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.

Ford Expands Europe Hands-Free Driving Availability with BlueCruise Launch in Third Country: Spain - Ford

Ford Expands Europe Hands-Free Driving Availability with BlueCruise Launch in Third Country: Spain.

Posted: Fri, 06 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

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. “Based on data obtained from the vehicle, the driver had been operating the vehicle in BlueCruise mode before the crash,” NTSB states. BlueCruise is currently available on the F-150 full-sized pickup and Mustang Mach-E EV. The system will be coming to the 2022 Expedition Platinum soon, as well as the upcoming F-150 Lightning EV pickup. A Ford spokesman told us BlueCruise would be heading to more vehicles, as well, but declined to give specifics as to which models, and the time frame.

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In past investigations, the NTSB has examined how the system functioned. Not only is it annoying to have to reactivate the system, but having to do so can also be a deterrent to the driver adding their own steering inputs, or using the system at all. With BlueCruise, even if the driver takes over the steering, the system still provides lane centering steering-wheel torque, but we found that it works with the driver instead of feeling like it’s working against them. We found BlueCruise enjoyable to use because it provides steering assistance on straight, boring sections of highway, or when you’re stuck in a traffic jam, which can make driving less stressful and more relaxing. Now, customers will have several new ways in which they can get access to the feature. They can pay for it when they order their vehicle online or from a dealership, with a three-year commitment costing $2,100.

ford blue cruise availability

Ford Makes BlueCruise Hardware Standard - Autoweek

Ford Makes BlueCruise Hardware Standard.

Posted: Wed, 16 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

There are no fully autonomous vehicles for sale to the public in the U.S. A police spokeswoman said a person from the Hyundai also was on the roadway and was hit. Both victims, males ages 21 and 20, were pronounced dead at the scene. / Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox weekly. By Andrew J. Hawkins, transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. With all those numbers and options packages out of the way, is BlueCruise worth it?

Surveys show that many people have difficulty distinguishing between ADAS and fully automated driving systems, which can lead to overconfidence in the technology. And there is compelling evidence that most driver-assist systems are less safe than normal human driving. Drivers tend to develop an overreliance on these systems even after a short period of use. And when it’s time to take back control of the vehicle, their reaction times are slower than what’s considered safe. Ford’s Blue Cruise system allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel while it handles steering, braking and acceleration on highways.

ford blue cruise availability

Another driver who was able to avoid the CR-V told investigators that neither its tail nor hazard lights were working at the time. A company spokeswoman wouldn’t comment on the NTSB report Thursday, deferring to a previous statement saying that Ford is cooperating in the investigations. If you pick up a bottle of water or cup of coffee to take a swig, you'd better be quick, because the system will start beeping at you if your face is blocked for more than just a couple seconds. Again, don't try to send an email while driving or look up sports scores. BlueCruise will know what you're trying to do and the system will not like it.

The system can allow for hands-free driving on sections of premapped divided highways, automating the vehicle’s steering, acceleration, and braking for the driver. It stands out for its driver monitoring and appropriate warnings when driver attention appears to have wandered, plus it effectively encourages collaborative driving. 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.

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 U.S. and Canada, Ford says. This is the first investigation into Ford’s ADAS, which has been available since 2021.

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. But although pressing the cruise control buttons turns the system “on,” the hands-free aspect won’t necessarily engage immediately—sometimes it does; other times it can take a few seconds to a couple of minutes. The system has to be on a section of divided highway that it deems safe for hands-free driving. The driver will know the hands-free mode has been engaged when the instrument cluster background turns from white to blue, while showing a steering wheel with the words “hands-free” below it. But first things first, let's cover what BlueCruise is and what it is not.

Plus, all of the top things to do in Florida take place outdoors, so you'll be catching plenty of rays. Before or after your cruise from Tampa, explore the sprawling national reserves and watch the sunset over Florida's prettiest, least-crowded shorelines along the tranquil Gulf Coast, like Indian Rocks Beach. Immerse in local history at the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami during the day followed by the energetic nightlife when planning a short getaway before your vacation. Voyage to vacation destinations in the Bahamas, Jamaica, and more with the best deals on cruises out of Florida.

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