Wow. If true, that’s exceptionally stupid.

My car will turn ON the automated features if it suspects a crash is imminent. This has saved me previously, when the car in front of me rapidly changed lanes revealing a car waiting to turn left directly in front of me. My car SLAMMED its own brakes and managed to stop faster than I thought a car could stop, and I hadn’t been using the intelligent cruise control or anything.

But I guess Ford is less worried about the software getting a possible bad rap since they’re, you know, a car company.

if everyone dies, nobody will sue you?

When the autopilot gets automatically disengaged, it should be treated as the autopilot software still being in control and just not doing anything.

I get the Tesla hate, I'm also not a fan of Musk and his antics, but can you share a source that says Tesla are inherently worse in crashes than other vehicles? The NHTSA gives overall 5-star safety ratings to Teslas, the highest score possible; the leader of the NHTSA is notoriously anti-Tesla (because of Musk's antics), and is on record saying that she wants to reign him and the company in (and rightfully so).

From this article: https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/18/business/why-do-people-keep-crashing-teslas/index.html

The Highway Loss Data Institute, a US-based organization funded by the insurance industry, has not found higher crash rates for Tesla vehicles or other EVs more broadly based on overall insurance claims. Teslas do tend to have higher claim costs, though, according to the HLDI.

The article goes on to say that research indicates that the likely cause of a higher rate of EV crashes is drivers 1) not being accustomed to the differences between EV and ICE vehicle handling, and 2) EVs overall having more speed and power than ICE vehicles.

there is a long-established connection between horsepower and the frequency and amount of insurance claims. Fast cars hit things more often and they hit them harder, leading to more – and more severe – crashes. Added to this, EVs lack the usual engine sounds that go along with rapid acceleration and high speeds, so it’s conceivable drivers are less aware of how fast they’re going.

I'm interested in learning more about how EV crashes seem to be worse.

22%ish actually. The actual percentage of US population that voted for this. (And maybe a few percent more for those that didn't vote.)