On February 24, 2024, at 9:48 p.m. local time, a 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E battery-electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) was traveling east in the center lane of Interstate 10 (I-10) in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, and approaching the Woodlake Parkway exit. At this location on I-10, the eastbound direction of travel consisted of three travel lanes with a posted speed limit of 70 mph. The Ford, traveling at a system-recorded speed of 74.7 mph, collided with the rear of a stationary 1999 Honda CR-V SUV that was also in the center lane.
Upon impact, the Honda rotated counterclockwise and then overturned onto its roof before coming to rest on the left shoulder of I-10. The Ford continued east after the collision and came to rest on the right shoulder.
The Ford driver had been operating the vehicle in hands-free partial driving automation mode, which Ford refers to as BlueCruise. Neither driver-applied nor system-applied braking or steering were recorded before impact. As a result of the crash, the Honda driver died and the Ford driver sustained minor injuries.
Moments before this collision sequence, a 2017 Chevrolet Cruze traveling east in the center lane ahead of the Ford executed a quick lane change to the right to avoid colliding with the stationary Honda.
The NTSB held a public board meeting on March 31, 2026, on this and another investigation (HWY24FH008), both involving 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E SUVs operating in the company’s hands-free, partial automation system, BlueCruise.
We determined that the probable cause of the San Antonio, Texas, crash was the driver’s failure to respond to the stationary vehicle ahead due to distraction, likely from the in-vehicle navigation system, stemming from overreliance on the vehicle’s hands-free partial automation system and disengagement from the driving task. Contributing to the crash was the inability of the Ford vehicle’s partial automation system, including its automatic emergency braking system, to detect and respond to the stationary vehicle ahead. Also contributing to the crash was the location of the stationary vehicle, which may have been stopped in the center lane of the highway due to the impairment of its driver.
As a result of this investigation, we will make the following new safety recommendations:
To the United States Department of Transportation:
- Issue comprehensive guidelines for vehicle manufacturers implementing partial vehicle automation systems that address known system limitations, including:
- integration and concurrent engagement of other safety-critical technologies (such as automatic emergency breaking, active intelligent speed assistance, and driver moniroting system);
- promoting driver engagement by design;
- reducing the safety risks associated with automation complacency and misuse; and
- setting maximum operational speeds for automation systems based on overall system capabilities.
To the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
- Require manufacturers to equip new SAE International Level 2-capable passenger vehicles with a telematic system that notifies the manufacturer of crashes meeting your reporting requirements in Standing General Order 2021-01.
- Amend 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 563, “Event Data Recorders,” to require that all new SAE International Level 2-capable passenger vehicles record data elements related to these systems, including at a minimum:
- system availability;
- engagement and activation denial;
- driver alerts, and
- system faults for automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, driver monitoring system, lane departure prevention, lane centering, partial automation system operation, and any other systems deemed necessary.
3. Require that all new SAE International Level 2-capable passenger vehicles be equipped with driver monitoring systems capable of minimizing driver disengagement, automation complacency, and misuse of vehicle automation by, at a minimum:
- providing warnings about accumulated short glances over a prolonged period of time;
- differentiating genuine on-road glances from attention directed to objects, such as cell phones, located in the driver’s forward line of sight; and
- issuing initial and subsequent multi-modal alerts at intervals that minimize eyes-off-road duration.
To the Ford Motor Company:
- Revise the driver monitoring systems (DMS) in your new vehicles to detect and provide warnings about accumulated short distractions over a prolonged period of time; differentiate genuine driver on-road glances from attention directed to objects, such as cell phones, located in the driver’s forward line of sight; and issue initial and subsequent multi-modal alerts at intervals that minimize eyes-off-road duration.
- Modify your BlueCruise system for new vehicles to require that the automatic emergency braking system is engaged and that the Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control system uses appropriate speed tolerances to mitigate excessive speeding, taking into consideration the system’s operational capabilities as well as traffic and highway complexity.
We reiterated the following safety recommendation
To the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Require that all new vehicles be equipped with passive vehicle-integrated alcohol impairment detection systems, advanced driver monitoring systems, or a combination thereof; the systems must be capable of preventing or limiting vehicle operation if driver impairment by alcohol is detected. (H-22-22)
