Ford has made parenting a little easier by introducing MyKey, a programmable ignition key for Ford automobiles that monitors teenage driving behavior. With MyKey in place, various driving habits that parents may consider unsafe, or merely obnoxious, can be curtailed.
It covers all the common parental complaints: The car’s speed cannot exceed 80mph. Radio volume is limited to 44 percent of maximum and, if seatbelts aren’t fastened, no sound will come from the speakers at all. Extra-careful and/or paranoid parents can place warning sounds at 45, 55, and 65mph, blasting a warning of potential reckless driving to the youthful driver.
Ford realizes this is annoying. Susan Cischke, Ford’s group vice president of sustainability, environment and safety engineering even said she hoped to “turn up the annoyance factor a little bit.”
MyKey will be introduced as a free standard feature in the 2010 Ford Focus model. Ford hopes to make MyKey a standard feature on all Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury models thereafter.
How to create a generation of car owners that will never buy a Ford.
Good for Ford! As long as it can be controlled by the owner of the car, I’d say this is a good thing. Now, if they can just limit the number of miles driven before it needs a parental okay…
So how is this better than making a kid get a job and buy their own car? If you buy your own car, you are less likely to make stupid decisions than if a car is given to you by your parents.
Not Good Enough !!! The TOP SPEED should be 40 MPH !!! How much damage will be done hitting a tree or utility pole at 80 MPH ??? LETHAL DAMAGE !!! At least at 40 MPH, the Seat Belts and Air Bags have a chance of protecting the passengers !!! And the ENGINE should not start if the seat belts are not engaged !!! As for the Radio, failure of the seat belt test should SILENCE THE RADIO until reset by the parent !!!
No mention of the seismograph in the back seat?
More useless “innovation” from Detroit…hearing a “sound blast” while going 80 down a bumpy dirt road and drunk is not going to do ANYTHING.
I am so relieved to know that at least some of these brainless, hyperactive, focus-less kids will only be able to rear-end me at 80 mph.
Just more useless “features” that sell products but don’t address problems.
How about a cell phone signal blocker too?
A TAZER BUILT INTO THE STEERING WHEEL!!! or the drivers seat back!!!
When Porsche put’s these into their cars then I won’t complain…
“Susan Cischke, Ford’s group vice president of sustainability, environment and safety engineering”
YOU ARE FIRED!
Fortune say, it can’t rain every day.
At least I won lunch.
Good philosophy.
I wasn’t aware a Ford could go 65mph!
“MyKey turns your Ford Focus into your Mom”
I’d like to put my key in your mom!
Might be funnier if I was a guy… but you left yourself open with a headline like that…
Note to all parents: If you can’t trust your teenagers to drive sensibly, don’t lend them your fucking car. It is simple, old fashioned, and just makes sense. And to be honest, most teenagers could probably use the exercise anyway!
Brilliant. Let’s find more ways to remind teenagers how untrustworthy and reckless they are that have no actual safety value!
Sooner or later, they’re going to start taking the message seriously.
Sure, we can allow technology to enforce safety limits on our lives, or we could actually ask parents to do their job. To all of you worthless parents out there, pay attention to your children and teach them responsibility instead of passing the buck. This tendency towards laissez-faire parenting is reprehensible.
How long until Ford hands the government the deactivation codes for these models?
The poor kids just get screwed over. They are just young enough not to know it.
So if your son gets a blow job, does a beeper go off. You bet it does !
Ford. Still doing everything it can to avoid making an all electric model. By coming out with these feature packed substitutes. Which only require a little bit extra wiring and software. And probably could have been done ten years ago. Notice still nothing offered in the way of some new anti-theft technology. And when these kid safer cars end up being sold used, by non-dealers. Will their codes be obtainable by request? Or will the new owner by stuck with a restricted performance car?
“How to create a generation of car owners that will never buy a Ford.”
Ah, but I bet a lot of parents will!
Excellent idea. If your kids are too useless to get a job and buy their own car, they don’t have the personal responsibility necessary to circulate in a motorized vehicle. If your lending your car you have every right to condition that any way you see fit.
It’s a good test of blog demographics though. It’s a sure bet that anyone against this is 25 years or younger, and probrably is a hardship for their parents.
The stock is at $2.92 .
What a barking dog !
STRIPPED GEARS
NEWSWIRE–New computer technology from Ford allows parents to limit both teenage drivers’ speed and the volume on the car stereo.
A parent, seeking answers
For a teenage driver, finds
This advice from burlesque dancers:
The routine is bumps and grinds.
http://www.newsandverse.com
Light verse, ripped from the headlines
I think this is a terrible idea. Putting limitations on a car when you have absolutely no idea what the driving conditions are. What if I’m being chased by a car load of republicans? I need to go faster than 80mph! What if I’m listening to a radio station I can barely get tuned in, straining to hear a warning about a tornado barreling down a road I am on? What if I am concentrating on driving and suddenly beeps and horns go off because I passed 45mph, causing me to swerve into oncoming traffic.
Obviously, these are exaggerated cases, but I just don’t see these limitations as being safer. I think they are actually MORE dangerous.