Ford introduces car-limiting MyKey for worried parents

[coolmazda5]

:D, clever. 67% of teenagers didn't like it, why? :p

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/081006_mykey_opt.jpg

Ford announced today a new technology called MyKey that will be standard on the 2010 Focus Coupe and quickly spread to the rest of the Blue Oval's lineup. MyKey can do three basic things: allow parents to limit a vehicle's top speed to 80 mph and/or the stereo's volume up to 44% of its max, and set a sustaining chime if the seatbelts aren't being used. Clearly targeted towards worry wart parents, the MyKey system is meant to keep teens safe despite their protestation that a system like this curtails their kiddy freedoms. Ford did some polling and found that 67% of teens didn't like the idea, though that number fell to 36% if the MyKey system led to parents letting the kids use the car more.

The MyKey system uses off-the-shelf technology from within Ford, particularly the SecuriLock passive anti-theft system, to identify which keys are in the ignition and therefore which driving mode to enable. It's certainly feels a lot like Big Brother, but we suppose parents have the right to play Big Bro' when the safety of their children is at stake.

Other things the MyKey system can do is permanently enable the traction control system and set chimes for when the car reaches 45, 55 or 65 mph. This technology will likely make the Ford Focus Coupe a popular choice for both parents and teens, the latter of which may be appeased by the SNYC system that's also available in these cars.

Source:
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/06/ford-introduces-limiting-mykey-for-worried-parents/

[Raynman]

I eagerly await the time when our society realizes that technology can only save us from ourselves to a certain degree, and that more investment in driver training would go a long way towards safety.

[aMaff]

I eagerly await the time when our society realizes that technology can only save us from ourselves to a certain degree, and that more investment in driver training would go a long way towards safety.

And parents: beat your children.

[NCZ13]

i must applaud ford for this unique idea.

now if only they would make a decent car to go with this system... now thats an idea.

[Rotary_Powered]

+1 for teaching your kids responsibility & disciplining when appropriate. That being said +1 for ford. My car My rules even when I'm not there.

[VermZ06]

This is exactly the reason my kid will be driving a dodge! (nana)

[dmitrik4]

I eagerly await the time when our society realizes that technology can only save us from ourselves to a certain degree, and that more investment in driver training would go a long way towards safety.

you're right, but the problem is, you can't really teach judgment. even the most responsible teenage driver can get carried away with a bunch of friends in the car.

[Jasonboy]

Very interesting. I did not know the focus could go over 80.

[coolmazda5]

you're right, but the problem is, you can't really teach judgment. even the most responsible teenage driver can get carried away with a bunch of friends in the car.

Exactly, especially as a teenager. The ugliest teenagers' accidents I've lived on own flesh so far:


Yes, I was a teenager
Exceeding the speed limit or doing something really stupid
With friends, or racing other friends
My dad always paid the bill


I've also experienced several friends dying in car accidents. While shit happens, the majority of these were:


As teenagers
Exceeding the speed limit
With friends


And to close, during my team living in the Boston area and now in the Philly area, when I hear on the radio about a particular high school mourning, it is due too many factors, granted, but in average is:


school kids who were involved in a car accident
1-3 dead, 1-2 survivors and grave
Rarely a kid is driving alone
while speeding, and/or racing


We might not like big brother and some stupid features, but if they agree to drive a car they don't own, then they have to accept the conditions...

My 2 cents



Very interesting. I did not know the focus could go over 80.

LOL

[Knox Joe]

Now they need to use airbag sensors to determine if there is a passenger, and possibly disable the car if you don't want them riding with friends.

Everytime I did something stupid it was with friends.

[StealthWyvern]

Now they need to use airbag sensors to determine if there is a passenger, and possibly disable the car if you don't want them riding with friends.

Everytime I did something stupid it was with friends.

back seat presure sensors to?

[jred321]

i wonder if insurance companies will give discounts for this

[aMaff]

i wonder if insurance companies will give discounts for this

no, I think a more likely scenario is premiums going up for people who don't lol

[camrycev6]

I think this is wonderful concept. It simply gives parents another tool to help them help their kids. It isn't like they need to go over 80 anyway. They will have enough scares and "learning moments" at speeds far less than that which hopefully, when they are no longer restricted help them realize what would happen if they make a mistake at 80+

[FreewheelBurner]

44% stereo volume? That is some serious overconfidence in their own product as 100% of stereo volume on a OEM system from Ford is barely audible as is.

[Knox Joe]

back seat presure sensors to?

Sure, why not?

[Raynman]

you're right, but the problem is, you can't really teach judgment. even the most responsible teenage driver can get carried away with a bunch of friends in the car.

I agree with you on the judgement part.

But even so, quality and quantity of driver education needs to drastically improve.

We've come to a point where driver education is being phased out of the school curriculum and being replaced by private driving instructors. You can't cram a good curriculum of driver education in a couple of hours with an instructor.

Even if a local high school does have driver education, the curriculum focuses on the legalities of the road and not so much on vehicle dynamics, situational awareness, emergency measures, car maintenance (yes, car maintenance!), etc. so much so that I would say that hardly 90% of the curriculum hardly qualifies as "driver education."

[ProtoType5]

Easy solution...buy them a piece of crap....my first cars didn't go over 80 cuz they could barely go 70...Kid are spoiled these days...

[TinmanMS6]

I agree with you on the judgement part.

But even so, quality and quantity of driver education needs to drastically improve.

We've come to a point where driver education is being phased out of the school curriculum and being replaced by private driving instructors. You can't cram a good curriculum of driver education in a couple of hours with an instructor.

Even if a local high school does have driver education, the curriculum focuses on the legalities of the road and not so much on vehicle dynamics, situational awareness, emergency measures, car maintenance (yes, car maintenance!), etc. so much so that I would say that hardly 90% of the curriculum hardly qualifies as "driver education."

I would argue that private instruction is better. It gives you options, rather than having to settle for whatever crap instruction goes on at a public school. We learned absolutely nothing but legalities in school, and we only got that for an hour a day and an hour of driving a week. It was up to parents to do the bulk of the teaching, which I thought was generally the case for everyone. I'm frightened at the thought of some people teaching their children how to drive, my wife included.

For my part, in 15 years when he's learning to drive, my kid is going to take a Skip Barber school at Road Atlanta.

[coolmazda5]

Easy solution...buy them a piece of crap....my first cars didn't go over 80 cuz they could barely go 70...Kid are spoiled these days...

I drove many pieces of crap before I bought one with money I earned, but based on my experience going beyond 70mph was not the main worry, the lack of airbags, decent safety and tires and brakes topped the list. Those cars were dangerous even at 20MPH, LOL

[TinmanMS6]

I drove many pieces of crap before I bought one with money I earned, but based on my experience going beyond 70mph was not the main worry, the lack of airbags, decent safety and tires and brakes topped the list. Those cars were dangerous even at 20MPH, LOL

Troof. My first car was an '86 Isuzu Trooper with a 4-cyl and a 5MT. Great car to learn to drive in, because it wasn't going anywhere in a hurry. Racing any other car was a joke. Then I learned that running stuff over was fun... You can't win with teenagers. Where there's trouble to be found, they'll find it. (dunno)

BTW, "emergency handling" was unheard of in that thing. It could've tipped over if the wind was blowing too hard in the wrong direction.

[StealthWyvern]

Troof. My first car was an '86 Isuzu Trooper with a 4-cyl and a 5MT. Great car to learn to drive in, because it wasn't going anywhere in a hurry. Racing any other car was a joke. Then I learned that running stuff over was fun... You can't win with teenagers. Where there's trouble to be found, they'll find it. (dunno)

BTW, "emergency handling" was unheard of in that thing. It could've tipped over if the wind was blowing too hard in the wrong direction.

haha I did that all the time when i got my first truck. Those parking blocks in parking lots.. eh who needs to backup when you have a truck! lol(idhitit)

[LASERBLUE135]

44% stereo volume? That is some serious overconfidence in their own product as 100% of stereo volume on a OEM system from Ford is barely audible as is.

Imagine if you put a fart can on that thing, you'd never hear anything.

I really do love this concept. I have a 10 year old now, I've been in 3 serious accidents in my life. #1 I was idiot driving with a friend 15 years old and chucked my dad's brand new F150 into some trees, #2 A friend was distracted by loud ass music and blew a stop sign totalling both cars. #3 my wife was distracted by loud ass musis and hit a car the was turning on the freeway totalled both cars.

In my high school there was a group of 4 kids in a ford probe GT. all 4 died in a high speed crash when they took a highway turn too fast, went into the ditch. I promise you that if they were going 80 mph or slower that accident never would have happened and that all 4 kids would be alive today.

[wmbeaver]

As far as the volume limiting feature goes, most teens who get in accidents involving the radio were adjusting it, not because they had the volume too loud. I think parents need to just instill better driving habits in their children and teach them good judgment throughout their life so when they are on their own they don't do stupid shit. I think this is a good idea, and it's a start. However, there's only so much you can do though before it's just up to the driver and the decisions they make.

[ProtoType5]

Telling kids not to do stupid shit....been the problem of parents for Millenia.....


Like telling a hormone ragging teenager to not have sex....

[clownphish]

And parents: beat your children.(rofl) +1!

[robin2660]

Telling kids not to do stupid shit....been the problem of parents for Millenia.....


Like telling a hormone ragging teenager to not have sex....

Yeah, well, at least you can take the car away. Sex organs a whole other matter ....

[Foolish]

Yeah, well, at least you can take the car away. Sex organs a whole other matter ....
Says who?

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/6834/56ww0.jpg

http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/2008/04/23-End/chastitybelt_300.jpg

:D

[MSP2024]

Says who?

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/6834/56ww0.jpg

http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/2008/04/23-End/chastitybelt_300.jpg

:D

haha that is funny shit,glad my parents never found that shit haha

[aMaff]

LMAO wow, that's... yeah... glad my folks never got ahold of that one. then again, it's nothing a good pair of bolt cutters can't fix... 0.o