Police are expected to enlist the help of Ford software engineers to unravel why the cruise control jammed on an Australian driver’s 2002 Explorer SUV.
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The black box’-style data recorder could provide vital clues to a high-speed freeway drama where the SUV’s cruise control apparently refused to disengage, according to the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH).
Chase Weir said the cruise control became jammed on 80kmh (about 50mph) as he travelled along Melbourne’s Eastern Freeway and it took him more than 30 minutes to bring the car to a stop.
Victorian state police have indicated to Ford they may ask for assistance diagnosing the car’s motor vehicle data recorder, which can log driver inputs on the brakes, throttle position and other vital systems of the car.
“We will conduct our investigation once they have finished theirs, but we’ve also indicated we’ll provide them with all the technical assistance they need,” Ford spokeswoman Sinead McAlary told the paper.
McAlary declined to comment on the possibility of a recall for the Explorer over yesterday’s incident.
“At this stage we don’t know what happened to the vehicle and until we know exactly what went on we can’t make any decisions. That is the responsible and methodical way to go about it,” she said.
Ford expands cruise control switch recall
