The systems that allow drivers to take their hands off the wheel are convenient but don’t improve safety because people who use them often pay less attention to the road, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday.
Drivers with automated systems engaged are much more likely than other drivers to focus on their cellphones or infotainment screens, Chair Jennifer Homendy said at the outset of a hearing on the NTSB’s investigation of two fatal crashes involving Ford’s Blue Cruise system. The 2024 crashes in Texas and Pennsylvania killed three people when Ford Mustang Mach-E cars slammed into stopped vehicles.
“These systems function primarily as convenience features rather than safety enhancements,” she said.
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