"Ford MyKey Lowers Speed and Turns Down Tunes for Teens" Edmunds Daily

Ford MyKey Lowers Speed and Turns Down Tunes for Teens

Parents can rest a little easier when handing the car keys to their teenagers thanks to Ford's new MyKey feature, which allows programming a key to limit top speed and control the volume of the stereo system, as well as remind the driver to fasten the seatbelt. The technology will debut next year as standard equipment on the 2010 Ford Focus coupe and is set to become standard on other Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles.

The MyKey system allows parents to program a car's keys to set a top speed of 80 mph, activate speed-alert chimes at 45, 55 and 65 mph and limit the audio system's volume to 44 percent of its maximum.

In other words, it takes much of the joy out of teen joy-riding. But it may also save lives and gas.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, teens are more likely to engage in risky driving behavior such as speeding, which NHTSA says contributes to 30 percent of all fatal crashes. And NHTSA notes that teens also are less likely to wear seatbelts than older drivers.

A recent Harris Interactive survey conducted for Ford reveals more of what already seems apparent, and breaks it down by the numbers: the MyKey system appeals to parents of teen drivers, with 75 percent in favor of the speed-limiting feature, 72 percent liking the safety-belt reminder and 63 percent down with turning down the volume of the audio system.

And here's the payoff for teens: About half of the parents surveyed who said they'd consider purchasing MyKey also indicated that they're willing to allow their teens to take the family car more often if it were equipped with the technology. Ford also notes that this added seat time can help teens strengthen their driving skills in a controlled setting, and that the technology complements graduated licensing laws that give teens more four-wheel freedom as they age and incrementally prove they can safely drive on their own.

Teens surveyed in the poll said they are open to MyKey monitoring -- if it means they'll get more time behind the wheel without a parent riding shotgun. Almost three-quarters of the teens polled initially said they wouldn't want MyKey constantly monitoring them, but if the system led to greater driving privileges, only 36 percent were against it.

When the MyKey is inserted into the ignition, Ford's SecuriLock anti-theft system reads the key's embedded transponder chip and identifies the MyKey code and activates certain default driving modes. For example, Ford's Beltminder normally chimes every minute for five minutes, but with MyKey it keeps on chiming and will mute the audio system until the seatbelt is buckled. The system will also not allow traction control to be turned off, and if the car is equipped with Ford safety technology such as Park Aid and Blind Spot monitoring with Cross Traffic Alert, MyKey can be programmed so that the systems can't be deactivated.

Ford claims MyKey also provides the added benefit of teaching teens to improve fuel economy, and with gas consuming more and more of everyone's budget, that's even more incentive to keep tabs on teen driving.