Many parents worry each time their teenage drivers ask for the keys to the family car. In fact, surveys show that most parents are concerned that their teenagers are driving too fast, talking on cell phones, distracted by loud music or not wearing their seatbelts. Ford can help quell the anxiety of parents.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), teens are more likely to take risks while driving and are less likely to wear seatbelts than their adult counterparts.
That’s why Ford has developed MyKey, standard now on the 2010 Focus and soon to be standard on many other Ford vehicles. MyKey is designed to help parents encourage their teenage drivers to be more aware of seatbelt usage, fuel economy and overall driving safety.
The MyKey system allows parents to program any key through the car’s message center, which updates the SecuriLock™ passive anti-theft system. When the programmed key is inserted, the system reads the transponder chip located in the key and enables certain default driving settings. For example, the Persistent Ford Beltminder™ will continually chime at regular intervals and will mute the audio system until seatbelts are connected. The early fuel warning system will send a warning at 75 miles to empty rather than at 50. If the MyKey is in the ignition, systems such as the Blind Spot Information System and Cross Traffic Alert cannot be deactivated.
Parents have additional restrictions and alerts they can program using MyKey. Speed can be limited to 80 mph, the traction control system that limits tire spin cannot be deactivated, speed alerts can sound at 45, 55 or 65 mph, and the sound system can be limited to 44 percent of its total volume.
According to Susan Cischke, Ford group Vice President of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering, “MyKey can help promote safer driving, particularly among teens, by encouraging seatbelt use, limiting speed and reducing distractions.”
You might think that younger drivers would object to this kind of control, and they did…initially. However, according to a Harris Interactive Survey, when teens thought they might get to use the car more often as a result of MyKey, only 36 percent objected. In fact, many parents surveyed said they would probably be more inclined to let their teenage drivers use the family car more often if it were equipped with this technology. In that same survey, 75 percent of those parents asked said they liked the speed-limiting feature, 72 percent liked the persistent seatbelt reminder and 63 percent found the audio volume control to their liking.
Another way Ford helps teens drive more safely is the Ford Motor Company Fund’s Driving Skills for Life program, which helps teens master basic driving skills like space and speed management, hazard recognition and vehicle handling. To date, Ford reports that some 3,000 teens have participated in this program’s ride-and-drive events, and more than 500,000 people have used the training course online, at www.drivingskillsforlife.com, since 2003.
Parents need all the help they can get, and Ford is committed to providing that support.
