National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opens investigation into fatal Blue Cruise crashes

[climateguy]

AP report: "US opens investigation into Ford crashes involving Blue Cruise partially automated driving system"

I'm a skeptic of automated driving. Blue Cruise is a Level 2 system, which is described by J.D. Power this way:

"If a vehicle has Level 0, Level 1, or Level 2 driver support systems, an active and engaged driver is required. She is always responsible for the vehicle’s operation, must supervise the technology at all times, and must take complete control of the vehicle when necessary."

Sure. Maritime automated systems have been in use for years. I remember when a British Columbia Ferry crashed into an island. It sank, killing only two passengers because it happened to sink slowly enough for everyone else to successfully abandon ship. There were supposed to be three people on the bridge at all times monitoring the automatic systems, All of them were supposed to be independently prepared to manually take over at any time. When the time came and the ship was obviously heading to disaster, there was no one ready to disconnect the autopilot and manually steer the ship. Those responsible did not cooperate with investigators. Rumour had it that two of them were somewhat distracted because they were having sex at the time. Obviously, the third person was, as they say, out to lunch.

Human beings will naturally tend to lose interest when they start to believe in an automated system even when their training or the fine print makes it clear that the system is not 100% reliable. The closer a system is to 100%, the more difficult it will be for a human to take the possibility of disaster seriously enough to pay attention 100% of the time.

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[ctuan13]

AP report: "US opens investigation into Ford crashes involving Blue Cruise partially automated driving system"

I'm a skeptic of automated driving. Blue Cruise is a Level 2 system, which is described by J.D. Power this way:

"If a vehicle has Level 0, Level 1, or Level 2 driver support systems, an active and engaged driver is required. She is always responsible for the vehicle’s operation, must supervise the technology at all times, and must take complete control of the vehicle when necessary."

Sure. Maritime automated systems have been in use for years. I remember when a British Columbia Ferry crashed into an island. It sank, killing only two passengers because it happened to sink slowly enough for everyone else to successfully abandon ship. There were supposed to be three people on the bridge at all times monitoring the automatic systems, All of them were supposed to be independently prepared to manually take over at any time. When the time came and the ship was obviously heading to disaster, there was no one ready to disconnect the autopilot and manually steer the ship. Those responsible did not cooperate with investigators. Rumour had it that two of them were somewhat distracted because they were having sex at the time. Obviously, the third person was, as they say, out to lunch.

Human beings will naturally tend to lose interest when they start to believe in an automated system even when their training or the fine print makes it clear that the system is not 100% reliable. The closer a system is to 100%, the more difficult it will be for a human to take the possibility of disaster seriously enough to pay attention 100% of the time.

Yeah I also dislike automated driving systems. I also especially distrust that almost all automated driving systems will not operate without an internet connection.

I have my modem disconnected in my Lightning and my BlueCruise system blocked and disabled.

Until recent events putting Boeing in such a negative spotlight, I don't think this would have been taken as a controversial statement, but here it is: I prefer Boeing's philosophy with regards to control input design.

You see Airbus and Boeing have drastically different design philosophies with regards to control input hierarchy. At its core, Airbus believes that the computer always knows better than the pilot and therefore, if a supposed dangerous control input is made, the computer will step in, preventing the pilot from doing whatever was perceived by the computer as dangerous.

Boeing on the other hand recognizes that computers are only as good as their programmers and the accuracy of the data they receive. So while automation obviously exists, the pilot's input has he ability to override every level of automation.

I think just lie Airbus's design philosophy breeds complacency, so too do automated driving systems. And this disengaged driving state more and more drivers find themselves in, leaves them with less foresight and awareness to correct an issue when the automation fails.

 

[hturnerfamily]

my first and only ticket I've ever received was back in 1980, at 16.

I was driving happily back south from Atlanta, with my buddy, coming home in my father's 1975 Oldsmobile Cutlass, from buying my first ever SYNTHESIZER(a sweet KORG POLY 800), when I was pulled over by a Georgia State Patrol officer in rural Pike County, on US 19....

uh oh!! : /

He asked, "son, where are you going in such a hurry?"
I replied, "sorry, I didn't realize I was speeding, since I had it on Cruise Control..."

I didn't realize that in those days the 'cruise control' kept you at 'speed' on flats and up hills, yes, but DID NOT reduce your speed DOWN hills! It ONLY controlled the gas pedal, and NOT the brakes. Oh well. The Poly 800 was worth it : )

 

[The Weatherman]

We all have are own opinions. I am a strong proponent of the technology and believe it will become the norm in the near future.

I live in rural area where you take your life into your hands when you get on the road. Folks here drive like they are the only one on the road cutting every corner like they are they running the Indy 500. The lane centering technology alone could prevent a lot of accidents, deaths and injuries here alone.

There must more of folks like me that support the technology than don’t. Otherwise, the industry would not be investing in it like they are.

Long Live Blue Cruise!

 

[pkirby11]

Most people fear change. Everyone worries that this will make things more dangerous but in the end what makes these systems dangerous is the same thing that makes driving dangerous. Humans. When I drive up north to visit my brother in a suburb of Chicago the amount of stupidity astonishes me that there aren't more wrecks and crashes. The only thing really saving those people are newer safety measures that were once mocked or feared due to change. What also saves me and my blood pressure going through the roof is Blue Cruise. However I don't just drive through Chicago paying no attention because BC makes it easier, it doesn't take everything into account. But I'm not ignorant, I don't think like some do and yes I'm looking at a lot of Tesla drivers, that driving assistance is going to constitute self driving. That is just it, BC is not self driving nor is Tesla FSD. When I use BC it makes my life so much calmer but I am always aware of what is going on and I always am able to take over when needed. The problem is, and yes I will use the Simpson as a great example, is that people again are just ignorant. People thought cruise control was self driving back in the days and it caused many accidents and there is an episode in the Simpsons where Bart thinks cruise control will drive for him. Now I don't deny, evangelists like Elon Musk sell their systems as more than they truly are but in the end you as the user have to make the most informed decision. And let's face it humans don't make good decisions, I know because I almost get run off the road 100 or more times when I go through Chicago. Plus if Ford is truly worried about issues, they need to actually put in the software updates, as those would and could correct issues. Instead they have cars and trucks out there with no new enhancements to improve on flaws in the system. Personally I have no plans to buy another Ford due to their poor lack of software updates, as nothing gets better due to this horrible system they have.

 

[Rbert]

Blue Cruise is just a semi smart cruise control on 2 lane highways. It does what it’s designed to do, but it requires driver attention, especially if there are speed restricted corners. Blue cruise is not smart enough to slow down for those speed restricted corners and will try to plow through the corner at the set speed. If the driver does not intervene the blue cruise will disengage too late and the vehicle will end up in the oncoming lane. The results of that could be disastrous.

Tesla’s cruise control is a little smarter, it will anticipate a speed restricted corner, slow the car down through the corner and then accelerate back to the set speed.

I had a free month of Tesla Driver assisted “full self driving” that ended yesterday. FSD is very good, but also very scary because the driiver never knows when it is going to screw up. I had issues with speed control, such as school zones, lane mergers, taking corners into the wrong lane, trying to bypass stopped cars in a construction zone with a flagger, etc, etc. it is definitely not ready for prime time. It did great with stop lights, stop signs, left turns with oncoming traffic. It will take you from point A to point B, but there were too many interventions for me to be comfortable.

Someday FSD will be here, the problem will then be the 95% who are driving without FSD.

 

[Danface]

I don't watch my washing machine to make sure it cleans my cloths and I surely won't be watching my truck to make sure it doesn't kill me. Keeping my "eyes on the road and my hands upon the wheel"

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