BUMPER TO BUMPER

Setting the Speed Limit
Does the mental image of your teenager tearing down the road in the family car — without a seatbelt, radio blasting — keep you up at night? Maybe it prevents you from giving him or her the keys at all. Hey, you know how you drove when you were a kid.
There’s no sure way to tell whether your teen is a model citizen or a menace on the roadway, but what we do know is that traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in America. And according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, mile for mile, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers. They are also more likely to take risks, like speeding, and less likely to wear a seatbelt.

So what’s a parent to do? Starting with 2010 models, Ford will put the keys in your hands, so to speak. MyKey will debut as standard equipment on the 2010 Ford Focus coupe, and will allow users to program the vehicle’s key to limit top speed to 80 miles per hour and audio volume to 44 %. It also activates Ford’s Beltminder system, which sounds a chime and mutes the audio system until the seatbelt is buckled. The key can also be programmed to alert a chime at 45, 55 and 65 miles per hour, give an earlier low-fuel warning, and prevent the traction-control system from being deactivated.

According to Ford 75 % of parents surveyed like the MyKey features while, not surprisingly, 67 % of teenagers objected to the technology. Teens relented in their objections if using MyKey meant greater driving privileges, however.

While MyKey will initially be available only in the Focus coupe, Ford expects it to roll out quickly as standard equipment in other Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models. For more information, visit ford.com.