Ford Motor Company wants to become every parent's best friend, which is why they introduced an all-new car management system. It may not be Big Brother, but this technology does encourage young drivers to develop better habits behind the wheel.
It's called MyKey and it will debut next year as a standard feature on many Ford vehicles, starting with the 2010 Ford Focus. The system essentially manages and monitors specific vehicle parameters and functions so as to remind users that driving can not only be fun, but safe too.
Consider MyKey as an intelligent key that the car owner, namely Mom or Dad, can program in order to prevent their teenagers from being distracted on the road or drive carelessly.
First and foremost, MyKey is able to limit the vehicle's top speed. The factory limit is currently set at 130 km/h since a couple of U.S. states allow road users to drive at 80 mi/h (128.8 km/h). Some parents believe this is too fast. "Because MyKey is based on a software, I think we'll soon be able to program the speed ourselves. It's only a start," says Christine Hollander, spokeswoman for Ford Motor Company of Canada.
It has to be mentioned, though, that MyKey can be programmed to send a beeping signal to the driver when a predetermined speed is reached. This way, he or she will remember not to go over the limit.
MyKey can also reduce audio volume and even encourage safety belt usage. The radio is limited to 44 percent of total volume, which is loud enough. Believe me, I know from experience.
As for the seatbelts, MyKey is unforgiving: if you don't buckle up, whether you're the driver or a mere passenger, the audio system simply won't work. Put your seatbelt on and everything will be okay. "This is not a coercive system. We just want teenagers to develop safer driving habits. For safety and practicality reasons, we don't prevent the engine from starting; otherwise, there would be too many consequences," explains Mrs. Hollander.
Additionally, MyKey makes it impossible for your kid to deactivate traction control, thereby putting an end to illegal drifting and drag races which often lead to tragic scenarios. And while it's not a traditional trip computer or navigation system, MyKey also provides data like the distance travelled. Here's betting this feature will shorten trips to the convenience store.
"The MyKey tool was designed to actually help parents. In our focus group, 75 percent of parents said they liked the speed-limiting feature. Conversely, 67 percent of teens polled said they wouldn't want MyKey features. However, when told that using MyKey would lead to greater driving privileges, only 36 percent still objected to the technology," adds Christine Hollander.
Interestingly, while MyKey is expected to become standard on all 2010 Ford models, activation is not mandatory, which means you can use it as a regular key. Owners who do want to take advantage of MyKey will be able to get up to six individual keys.
photo:Matthieu Lambert
It's called MyKey and it will debut next year as a standard feature on many Ford vehicles, starting with the 2010 Ford Focus. The system essentially manages and monitors specific vehicle parameters and functions so as to remind users that driving can not only be fun, but safe too.
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Consider MyKey as an intelligent key that the car owner, namely Mom or Dad, can program in order to prevent their teenagers from being distracted on the road or drive carelessly.
First and foremost, MyKey is able to limit the vehicle's top speed. The factory limit is currently set at 130 km/h since a couple of U.S. states allow road users to drive at 80 mi/h (128.8 km/h). Some parents believe this is too fast. "Because MyKey is based on a software, I think we'll soon be able to program the speed ourselves. It's only a start," says Christine Hollander, spokeswoman for Ford Motor Company of Canada.
It has to be mentioned, though, that MyKey can be programmed to send a beeping signal to the driver when a predetermined speed is reached. This way, he or she will remember not to go over the limit.
MyKey can also reduce audio volume and even encourage safety belt usage. The radio is limited to 44 percent of total volume, which is loud enough. Believe me, I know from experience.
As for the seatbelts, MyKey is unforgiving: if you don't buckle up, whether you're the driver or a mere passenger, the audio system simply won't work. Put your seatbelt on and everything will be okay. "This is not a coercive system. We just want teenagers to develop safer driving habits. For safety and practicality reasons, we don't prevent the engine from starting; otherwise, there would be too many consequences," explains Mrs. Hollander.
Additionally, MyKey makes it impossible for your kid to deactivate traction control, thereby putting an end to illegal drifting and drag races which often lead to tragic scenarios. And while it's not a traditional trip computer or navigation system, MyKey also provides data like the distance travelled. Here's betting this feature will shorten trips to the convenience store.
"The MyKey tool was designed to actually help parents. In our focus group, 75 percent of parents said they liked the speed-limiting feature. Conversely, 67 percent of teens polled said they wouldn't want MyKey features. However, when told that using MyKey would lead to greater driving privileges, only 36 percent still objected to the technology," adds Christine Hollander.
Interestingly, while MyKey is expected to become standard on all 2010 Ford models, activation is not mandatory, which means you can use it as a regular key. Owners who do want to take advantage of MyKey will be able to get up to six individual keys.
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photo:Matthieu Lambert
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