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Ford's new MyKey will help parents slow their teens down on the roads and "turn down that noise".  (Source: Ford)
New key makes sure teens don't emulate Joe Walsh's driving habits

Usually when you think high-tech and cars, you think luxury or performance.  However, a new technology from Ford is built on quite an opposite line of thinking -- slowing down.

A common fear among parents for decades has been that they might give the car keys to their kid only to have the kid pump up the stereo and put the pedal to the medal and lose control of the car.  The possibility of saying "bye bye" to the new family car is enough for many parents to say "bye bye" to the possibility of their teen borrowing the new family car.

However, a new technology from Ford may offer a cure for worry warts.  Ford is introducing MyKey technology in the 2010 Ford Focus Coupe aimed at pedal-happy teens.  The technology will quickly spread to all of Ford's product line.  The new technology is a special car key which limits the vehicle's functionality, allowing parents to hand over the car keys with less concern.

With the MyKey in the ignition, the car's top speed is limited to 80 mph and/or the stereo is limited to 44 percent of the maximum volume.  Parents can set or unset these options, based on how responsible they think their young drivers are.  With the key parents can also enable a sustain chime which will go off if the driver or passengers aren't using their seatbelts.

Even teens are begrudgingly warming up to the new idea.  When surveyed, 67 percent of teens didn't like "the man" sticking it to their driving rights.  However, when the teens were informed that the system would increase the frequency that their parents lent them their car, all but 36 percent got behind the idea.

For Ford, the new technology was relatively easy to implement as it uses off-the-shelf tech from within the company.  For the new system, Ford adapted its SecuriLock tech, used in car-theft deterrence, which recognizes which key is in the ignition and adjusts the allowed vehicle operation accordingly.

The MyKey system is packed with even more functionality, also allowing traction control to be permanently enabled and enabling warning chimes to go off when the car reaches 45, 55 or 65 mph.

Teens and others may find the technology a bit Big Brother-esque, but at least with this new system kids will get access to a new set of wheels complete with Ford's hot SYNC technology -- so they shouldn't have too much to complain about.

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Those pesky teens
By Fronzbot on 10/6/2008 1:41:27 PM , Rating: 4
We all know only teenagers drive irresponsibly. Seriously, when was the last time you saw a mid-30s woman yapping on her cell phone with music blaring, weaving in and out of traffic on a packed highway on your way to work that day? I'll tell you when: never.




RE: Those pesky teens
By SavagePotato on 10/6/2008 1:44:19 PM , Rating: 3
Like the man said above, despite my rather silly comment, technology that jams cell phones when the vehicle is in motion would really be great, and quite possible.


RE: Those pesky teens
By MrBlastman on 10/6/2008 3:34:51 PM , Rating: 4
It is not only possible - it has already been done. For 500.00 of cash you too can get your own portable jammer.

Or... for about 125.00 of your own money, you can make your own! There are plans out there... There's even a PCB layout to send off to a fab.

However, it is illegal. It sure would be useful on airplanes, buses or the subway.


RE: Those pesky teens
By walk2k on 10/6/2008 5:19:54 PM , Rating: 4
That sounds like a good idea until you think about it - which would be worse, a person talking on their phone, or a person looking down at the receiver wondering why their call just got cut off and trying to redial/etc/etc...


RE: Those pesky teens
By inighthawki on 10/6/2008 6:19:34 PM , Rating: 2
True in the specific case he presented, it may be an issue, but if it became a standard where you were unable to use a cell phone from inside a moving vehicle or, if possible from the driver seat, then it would immediately discourage people from even trying to make the calls in the first place.


RE: Those pesky teens
By ikkeman2 on 10/7/2008 9:22:38 AM , Rating: 5
what about the poeple on the side of the road, trying to reach 911 to report the accident?
so every car in the vicinity has to stop moving before we can contact EMT??

Just try to better the world by your own example - stop calling.


RE: Those pesky teens
By PrinceGaz on 10/7/2008 2:49:09 PM , Rating: 2
These jammers have a very limited range at the best of times, and being inside the largely metal shell of the car would considerably reduce its effect outside of the car.

I imagine the jammer would radiate from somewhere like the steering column and have an effective range of at least 1 metre in excellent reception locations (the hardest to block) to ensure the driver can't make calls. Step outside the car on the passenger's side and walk a meter or two beyond the back of the car and the jammer's signal would be so weak as to have no effect in all but the very weakest reception areas (and then you'd just have to walk a few metres further to a point where the jammer's signal is so weak as to be negligible).

It would be safer for jammers to be mandatory than for drivers to continue to make calls.


RE: Those pesky teens
By deeznuts on 10/7/2008 4:37:38 PM , Rating: 3
Too bad you can't get a call from your child in an emergency if you're driving!


RE: Those pesky teens
By xsilver on 10/6/2008 5:58:29 PM , Rating: 2
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11510

A lot cheaper than $500

However I too think they are illegal in the USA?

There was a portable battery powered version but I cant seem to find it anymore. Heard it was great for pranks on trains etc when you just want a quiet ride home.


RE: Those pesky teens
By xsilver on 10/6/2008 6:17:26 PM , Rating: 1
oh i found the battery powered version but its $140

Actually I have a more responsible idea about cell phone use.
When entering the car, it mandates that you connect the bluetooth handsfree before taking off.
If you wanted to take it one step further, the car could also help you screen your calls; but that is a bit too big brother for me.

Or maybe some form of this is a good idea?
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1305
Self policing initially of course!


RE: Those pesky teens
By Aarnando on 10/7/2008 8:56:00 AM , Rating: 2
Lenny: Hey look, Homer's got one of those robot cars.
[Car crashes]
Carl: Yeah, one of those American robot cars.

Instead of limiting the tasks we are able to perform while driving, let's get to work on robot car technology so we can increase the freedom to perform alternate tasks while driving!


RE: Those pesky teens
By xsilver on 10/7/2008 10:13:59 AM , Rating: 2
well the latest merc s class has adaptive cruise control + unsafe lane changing tech (automatically keeps you in your lane)

basically the only thing that needs to be added is electronic checkpoints at traffic lights and stop signs; combine that with gps and bingo, self driving car.

Why isnt it done yet?
I would think:
1) too slow (for safety purposes)
2) too boring (some people actually like driving)
3) liability issues (if you have a crash, can you legitimately blame it on the computer?)
4) Education, other drivers would need to be able to correctly predict how a robot car is going to behave, if it differs from normal human conceptions, could be a cause for concern.


RE: Those pesky teens
By ikkeman2 on 10/7/2008 9:24:46 AM , Rating: 2
what about a self deactivating phone. It's quite easy for an mobile to determine if it's moving, and how fast. anything above 10mph - it stops


RE: Those pesky teens
By Moishe on 10/7/2008 3:50:04 PM , Rating: 2
Now if you're IN a car... and need to make a call... no can do.

Fact is, we have great tech that helps people and does cool stuff. Lets not figure out how to mess that up. let's figure out how to get our cake and eat it too.

There is no reason why we shouldn't be able to communicate outside of a car while you're riding/driving.


RE: Those pesky teens
By ebakke on 10/6/2008 3:52:23 PM , Rating: 3
I would give ... ok, well I wouldn't give anything, but I'd be thrilled if someone made this happen.


RE: Those pesky teens
By FITCamaro on 10/6/2008 1:47:45 PM , Rating: 5
So as a husband, give your wife one of these keys as well.

I'm definitely in favor of this. I would love to have cell phone blocking technology in cars too.


RE: Those pesky teens
By clovell on 10/6/2008 1:54:30 PM , Rating: 2
> I would love to have cell phone blocking technology in cars too.

As long as it's not in my car. =P


RE: Those pesky teens
By Souka on 10/6/2008 3:24:26 PM , Rating: 2
How about hand sensors? You must keep two hands on steering wheel...10 and 2 position...or car will slow down.

:)

Like the other features, this can be disabled by the parent...just to cover all the one armed/handed teens driving today...


RE: Those pesky teens
By Runiteshark on 10/6/2008 3:30:26 PM , Rating: 2
Thats a great idea, everyone will be forced to slow down when they are changing gears in their manual transmission cars, myself included.

I drive pretty well with one hand, when I actually have to make turns that require a bit of attention, I use 2.


RE: Those pesky teens
By Souka on 10/6/2008 3:41:14 PM , Rating: 2
right hand on wheel or shifter...give a second or two before dropping throttle down...

there happy?


RE: Those pesky teens
By Runiteshark on 10/6/2008 3:42:50 PM , Rating: 2
No, not at all, I like my 350z and RSX without any silly crap like that.


RE: Those pesky teens
By Zoomer on 10/6/2008 9:51:47 PM , Rating: 2
No, sometimes it helps to keep the hand on the shifter, since either:

1. Moron in front slows down
2. Moron lights change
3. ???


RE: Those pesky teens
By sc3252 on 10/7/2008 8:56:29 PM , Rating: 1
Nice job wearing down your clutch...


RE: Those pesky teens
By Zoomer on 10/9/2008 9:36:30 PM , Rating: 2
Yeah, too bad they cost next to nothing.


RE: Those pesky teens
By afkrotch on 10/7/2008 8:54:31 AM , Rating: 3
I only steer with one hand and shift with the other. Have yet to have any time where I needed to have two hands on the wheel.

I do occassionally have to swap hands, as some cars put the signal switch on the left side of the steering wheel. Right side when I owned a right hand drive car.

Having the car slow down if you don't have two hands on the wheel would be annoying as hell.


RE: Those pesky teens
By clovell on 10/6/2008 3:31:02 PM , Rating: 3
Not a bad idea. I don't have much of a problem with the idea itself. Parents own the car and are responsible for any damage it causes, so they should be able to use tools like this.

I just don't appreciate the concept of extending stuff like this to all vehicles. Like your proposal - I'd like to be able to drink my coffee on my commute in without having my car nerfed. I can slow it down myself, but if I need to gun it quick, I don't want to have to be cleaning my carpets later.


RE: Those pesky teens
By Souka on 10/6/2008 3:43:18 PM , Rating: 2
Not "all vehicles"

Just vehicles that parents wish to impose the limitation on...and to certain drivers.

So you can drink coffee, drive with your knees, and put your right hand on the inside of your wife/GF left thigh...


RE: Those pesky teens
By clovell on 10/6/2008 3:44:44 PM , Rating: 2
=D Business as usual, then!


RE: Those pesky teens
By Spivonious on 10/6/2008 3:34:00 PM , Rating: 1
Fine for automatics, but what about manuals? It would make for some pretty rough shifts.


RE: Those pesky teens
By Souka on 10/6/2008 3:41:48 PM , Rating: 2
right hand on wheel or shifter...give a second or two before dropping throttle down...

there happy?


RE: Those pesky teens
By shabby on 10/6/2008 6:37:24 PM , Rating: 2
Good luck trying to keep both hands on the wheel on a long trip.


RE: Those pesky teens
By Diesel Donkey on 10/6/2008 10:56:51 PM , Rating: 2
I took drivers' ed about 8 years ago, and I was told 10 and 2 position is actually a very poor idea. I can't remember exactly what the rationale was, but I think it had something to do with greatly increased chances of having an arm broken as a result of having a collision while making a turn. The new standard is 4 and 8.


RE: Those pesky teens
By therealnickdanger on 10/7/2008 7:56:34 AM , Rating: 2
Correct, I was just going to comment about this. At 10/2, your airbag will snap your wrists in twain. 9/3 or 8/4 is where you want your hands now. Unfortunately, the education on this has not been good enough.


RE: Those pesky teens
By othercents on 10/7/2008 10:49:11 AM , Rating: 2
Who the hell came up with that? The reason for being higher on the wheel is so that you have better control of the vehicle since it is easier to pull down on the wheel than push or pull any other direction. Watch race car drivers and they are all at the 10/2 position and at most 9/3, but never 8/4.

No wonder teenagers are getting in more wrecks. The teachers are more concerned about the airbag breaking wrists than they are about teaching the kids how to drive. If the air bag goes off, I'm sure broken wrists will be the least of your worries.

Other


RE: Those pesky teens
By menace on 10/7/2008 2:18:45 PM , Rating: 2
The 10/2 is a holdover from ancient times where most cars did not have power steering. You actually needed two hands there to get enough leverage to make the wheel move fast enough and far enough (manual steering wheels you have to turn 2-3 times further to get the same effect). To make 90 deg turns you actualy had to do hand over hand action based on the 10/2 position, any other position is awkward to start from when making 90 deg turns.

With PS you can maintain control with your hands at almost any position. Frankly, one of the biggest problems I've seen with control on the freeways is people oversteering so it could be argued that at highway speeds it may be as safe or even safer to drive with one hand.

I believe race car drivers have to use two hands because the steering gets really stiff and shaky at high speeds.

It still is a good idea to make learners keep two hands on the wheel regardless to condition them that they do need both hands at the ready. But more important is to teach attentiveness and awareness techniques and the two second rule (i.e. "defensive" driving techniques).

Airbag breaking arms or throwing them in you face is definitely a concern to be aware of. You shouldn't go above the 10/2 position and definitely dont try to shield your face if you are crashing.


RE: Those pesky teens
By Cypherdude1 on 10/10/2008 9:08:47 PM , Rating: 2
10/2, 9/3, 8/4, why don't you guys make up your minds? I have an idea. While you guys are deciding, I recommend using the " Cypherdude 'Spider Effect' ". What you do is, get an extra 2 arms and use 10/2 & 8/4. This way, you can have the best of both worlds. You can have better turning with 10/2 and if the airbag deploys and breaks one pair of arms, you still have the second pair of arms at 8/4.

B ^D


RE: Those pesky teens
By afkrotch on 10/7/2008 9:02:55 AM , Rating: 2
I put my left hand at the 7-8 position and adjust to the 9-10 position for turns. The other hand sits on the shifter or lays on my leg.

Sometimes I swap it to my right hand at the 4-5 position and 2-3 position, when I'm smoking. I also continue shifting with my right hand. I have to shift later, of course, as I can't shift while turning.


RE: Those pesky teens
By SpaceRanger on 10/6/2008 1:47:57 PM , Rating: 2
Corrected:
quote:
We all know only teenagers drive irresponsibly. Seriously, when was the last time you saw anyone yapping on their cell phone with music blaring, weaving in and out of traffic on a packed highway on your way to work that day? I'll tell you when: never.


RE: Those pesky teens
By Sulphademus on 10/6/2008 1:47:58 PM , Rating: 3
Or how about a woman doing 75 in a 55 with cruise control holding the speed while her oldest daughter, riding shotgun, held the wheel cause she was busy putting on makeup in the vanity mirror.

Yes, this woman was one of the drivers in our carpool when I went to private elementary school. Christ, and I'm still alive?


RE: Those pesky teens
By omnicronx on 10/6/08, Rating: -1
RE: Those pesky teens
By omnicronx on 10/6/08, Rating: -1
RE: Those pesky teens
By Sulphademus on 10/6/2008 1:53:22 PM , Rating: 3
Well that had nothing to do with an 80mph governor. Just a really s#$%%! driver.

I would be more concerned with this type of thing and 'black boxes' becoming government mandated.


RE: Those pesky teens
By omnicronx on 10/6/2008 1:58:34 PM , Rating: 2
It has everything to do with going over 80.. I drive 60-70 Miles on the highway everyday, and regardless of how good of a driver you are, at least 5 times a year I am left in this situation with it being zero fault of my own. Trucks moving from the right lane to the center lane are the worst, and usually there is nothing the driver of the car can do about it.

All I am saying is this will be great and dandy, until ford gets its ass sued off when someones kid dies because they could not accelerate correctly, regardless of if the parent has to set it or not.


RE: Those pesky teens
By FITCamaro on 10/6/2008 2:58:58 PM , Rating: 2
He has a point. A kid at my high school was killed cause his car couldn't accelerate fast enough and he got leveled by a truck.

But omni this has to do with limiting top speed. Not controlling acceleration. And this is something that Ford provides in its cars. It doesn't mandate it. The parents choose whether or not to limit the kid. Not Ford. So I really don't see how they'll be liable for anything. Otherwise a golf club manufacturer could be sued when someone beats someone else to death with their golf club since the manufacturer provided the tool used.


RE: Those pesky teens
By Carter642 on 10/6/2008 6:04:54 PM , Rating: 1
Not to be callous but it's likely that the kid got killed because he made the wrong decision and didn't use the brakes.

The greatest acceleration that a car is capable of is under braking, especially in the case of a little econobox. Some good ballpark figures would be maybe <.2g @65mph with the accelerator, better than .8g on the brakes. If you have to avoid a truck moving over on you the best solution is the brakes by far.

An 80 - 85mph speed limiter for a teenager doesn't seem out of line, tho it should indicate that the limiter is in effect on the speedo (like no numbers above 80 when using the teen key). Enforcing seatbelt usage seems like a good idea too although for the backseat I could see a big dog causing an issue. If I were Ford I'd be sure to make the car standard with ABS and make sure that the stability control can't be defeated without the adult key.

Otherwise I'd say that all the other alarms and reminders are unnessecary. All I have to do is watch my girlfriend freak out any time her car Dings at her (always the parking brake) to know how distracting an alarm can be and she's far from a teenager.

Still, rather than buy a kid a $20K car that's electronically nerfed how about spending $2K on a proper defensive driving school with your kid and give the kid an unnerfed car.


RE: Those pesky teens
By tayhimself on 10/6/2008 9:15:45 PM , Rating: 2
Please don't let facts cloud this discussion. Thank you!


RE: Those pesky teens
By Zoomer on 10/6/2008 9:57:36 PM , Rating: 2
I think 80 mph is too high. How about a custom limit?

I would set it to 65mph, or 45mph if they are supposed to be cruising around in the neighbourhood only.


RE: Those pesky teens
By FITCamaro on 10/7/2008 6:12:45 AM , Rating: 2
Most driving schools are worthless.


RE: Those pesky teens
By Carter642 on 10/7/2008 12:10:20 PM , Rating: 2
I'm not talking about guided on-road instruction driving schools. I'm talking about the collision avoidance, skid control, car control schools for young drivers run by one of the big road racing schools.

The road never seems so scary and full of things that can kill you until you've been on a race track. A bit of perspective on driving decisions and some actual car control skills go a long way to making a good driver, definately further than just crippling the car.


RE: Those pesky teens
By Suntan on 10/7/2008 4:28:10 PM , Rating: 2
I’ve always thought people should be required to pass real driving tests every few years. And not the “Ok make a left turn here…” kind either.

Would be good for getting the old, feeble minded drivers that are not safe anymore off the road too.

-Suntan


RE: Those pesky teens
By mindless1 on 10/6/2008 4:13:44 PM , Rating: 3
Being able to accelerate beyond 80 MPH is not a needed driving strategy. If a truck moves from right to center you'd be slowing down, but perhaps if this is such a problem you were already driving too fast for conditions. Oh the irony - driving too fast? Yeah speeding up even more sure is a solution.


RE: Those pesky teens
By clovell on 10/6/2008 5:00:03 PM , Rating: 1
> If a truck moves from right to center you'd be slowing down

Would I? And if the truck was moving from left to center? Doesn't matter - I have a solution - how about you guys drive your way, gramps, and leave the left lane to me.


RE: Those pesky teens
By mindless1 on 10/6/2008 8:28:33 PM , Rating: 3
It's not driving like gramps to be intelligent instead of a moron that just thinks "speed up" is the answer to any situation.

If only you'd stay in the left lane then the aforementioned situation of being between two trucks wouldn't matter! By the way, you really shouldn't be driving as fast as I do since it seems you lack driving skills.

Driving skills aren't just about stomping on the pedal and turning the wheel, it's about making choices that keep you and everyone around you safer no matter what speed you are going, but the faster you're going the more those choices matter. Remember that it's also other people who cause potential accidents you will have to react to.


RE: Those pesky teens
By clovell on 10/7/2008 2:39:01 PM , Rating: 1
> It's not driving like gramps to be intelligent instead of a moron that just thinks "speed up" is the answer to any situation.

I didn't say that.

> If only you'd stay in the left lane then the aforementioned situation of being between two trucks wouldn't matter! By the way, you really shouldn't be driving as fast as I do since it seems you lack driving skills.

Did you read what I posted? My situation was on a 3-lane road. I'm in the middle lane with a truck on my right, and a truck on my left is passing me. The truck on the left merges into my lane. The situation can happen to any driver, regardless of how defensive a posture they assume while driving - and, in some situations, it makes sense to accelerate out of harms way than to brake.

Furthermore, you've never seen me drive. I don't follow all these hypothetical rules that you seem to think every scenario falls into. So, why don't you STFU about my driving skills and quit trying to push your driving style on other people by mindlessly bashing on them. You have yours, I have mine - leave it at that. That was the crux of my last post - which you might consider actually reading.

> Driving skills aren't just about stomping on the pedal and turning the wheel, it's about making choices that keep you and everyone around you safer no matter what speed you are going, but the faster you're going the more those choices matter. Remember that it's also other people who cause potential accidents you will have to react to.

Glad we agree there. They also aren't about just slamming on the brakes all the time, either. That's all I'm saying.


RE: Those pesky teens
By MamiyaOtaru on 10/6/2008 8:42:02 PM , Rating: 2
You sound exactly like the type of person who needs a limiter in your car. Why do I have to share my road with you? We need a seperate road system, an "idiotbahn" if you will for you and your kind.


RE: Those pesky teens
By clovell on 10/7/2008 2:43:35 PM , Rating: 1
Ah, no, I sound like the person who doesn't think that all driving scenarios can fit in nice little boxes like you guys seem to. You don't know me or how I drive, so why don't you drive your way, and let me drive mine.


RE: Those pesky teens
By SavagePotato on 10/7/2008 10:27:03 AM , Rating: 5
Being I have a class 1 license and having driven tractor trailers I would ask you a question.

Why are you driving alongside one, much less between two of them?

Seriously, in the world of situational awareness in my opinion no one has any business driving side by side with another vehicle on a multi lane road much less sitting there like a bump on a long alongside a truck that can mash your vehicle into scrap on it's blind side.

Simply, Get the hell out of that trucks blind spot, you have no business there. Likewise if the truck driver isn't just a bad driver there should be few situations where a tractor trailer is merging to the center lane from the left. Unless turning or having recently turned or pulling out to pass a tractor trailer has no business anywhere but the right hand lane.

Which brings me to another pet peeve, use of lanes on the highway. The left lane is a passing lane, you have no business there unless you are passing. It's not the drive in the left lane to be different lane. So many times I have been on a two lane highway and there's two asshats in minivans side by in a rolling roadblock.

In short, If you are getting taken out for being in a trucks blind spot, it's because you were doing something really stupid in the first place, not because you couldn't speed up fast enough.


RE: Those pesky teens
By clovell on 10/7/2008 2:48:37 PM , Rating: 2
> In short, If you are getting taken out for being in a trucks blind spot, it's most likely because you were doing something really stupid in the first place, not because you couldn't speed up fast enough.


RE: Those pesky teens
By OrSin on 10/6/2008 1:54:08 PM , Rating: 5
Yeah this happens all the time. Also your in Ford if you have to gun from 60-80 to it get out of an accident you might as well just close your eyes and pray.


RE: Those pesky teens
By clovell on 10/6/08, Rating: 0
RE: Those pesky teens
By FreeTard on 10/6/2008 2:08:57 PM , Rating: 2
Do you have the option to slow down?

2 second rule; follow 2 seconds behind the vehicle in front of you, plus 1 second for every 6' of vehicle you're driving.

I get "cut off" a lot. But it's probably because I see some jerk-wad speeding up beside me, and I slow down rather than racing them.


RE: Those pesky teens
By omnicronx on 10/6/2008 2:29:31 PM , Rating: 2
Now what will slowing down do for you when you are in the middle of two big rigs, and one tired driver decides to merge into the center lane that you are in. Now how exactly will slowing down help you here other than the car behind you smashing into you so that you both get crunched.. I have seen this happen, and unless you make it a practice to never pass a rig, it can happen quite easily.

Slowing down is not always an option, and neither of my situations took into account whether or not there was a car infront, it has no bearing on the situation as what I was describing is if you had to speed up.

I see stuff like this happen all the time, so please don't tell me this does not happen unless you are being unsafe. In fact half the time its someone going a constant speed and keeping their distance that this happens too.


RE: Those pesky teens
By FreeTard on 10/6/2008 2:51:46 PM , Rating: 2
I'm pointing out options, and a scenario just like you did.

You came up with the solution on your own. "unless you make it a practice to never pass a rig, it can happen quite easily" Seems obvious to me, wait until it is safe to pass.

Slowing down is one part, choosing the lane of least potential is another, planning your route is one, scanning your driving zones, checking your mirrors... I could go on and on.

"so please don't tell me this does not happen unless you are being unsafe" <--- I didn't

"Slowing down is not always an option, and neither of my situations took into account whether or not there was a car infront, it has no bearing on the situation as what I was describing is if you had to speed up." <--- Yes it does, if someone is speeding up to cut you off, slow down so that there is 2 seconds distance when he gets past you. If the guy beside you is coming into your lane, slow down and let him. If the guy behind you is following you so close he can tell what you ate for breakfast, slow down and he'll pass you too.

Throw all the attitude you want, I can shoot it down all day.


RE: Those pesky teens
By clovell on 10/6/2008 3:08:45 PM , Rating: 2
What if the big rigs is passing you and merges into your lane, rather than the other way around?


RE: Those pesky teens
By omnicronx on 10/6/2008 3:13:46 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Yes it does, if someone is speeding up to cut you off, slow down so that there is 2 seconds distance when he gets past you.
You can't slow down fast enough if someone is behind you. This has happened before to me, don't tell me what can and cannot happen. If I am at the rigs mid section, and a car is 15 feet behind me, there is no way that both me and the car behind me is going to slow down in time.
quote:
Throw all the attitude you want, I can shoot it down all day.
Am i the one throwing around the attitude? I described a situation I see happen all the time and you are merely discounting it. Its happened to me, I couldn't slow down, you have a tenth of a second to make a choice, and slowing down when you have no idea if the guy behind you is going to react in time is not an option. You just merely saying NOPE THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY, is just naive.

The poster below had a great idea of not allowing sustained speed. Maybe instead of making fun and just plain saying I am wrong without any other input other than 'slow down' you could have come up with a solution.


RE: Those pesky teens
By FreeTard on 10/6/2008 3:28:53 PM , Rating: 2
Actually I gave you lots of other options and preventative measures, you chose not to read them. That was your decision. You propose that the only option is to floor it, and I haven't seen anything else.


RE: Those pesky teens
By clovell on 10/6/2008 3:33:33 PM , Rating: 1
Can we just agree that while it's not the only option, in some instances, it may be the best one?


RE: Those pesky teens
By mindless1 on 10/6/2008 4:21:09 PM , Rating: 2
Even if someone is behind you, normally you should be able to slow down - remembering that this causes them to slow down as well, at a faster rate than accelerating. The key thing here is that the truck on the left is going faster than you or the truck on the right. If you are not going slower than the truck on the left already then you had no business trying to pass on the right between the two.

If another car is following behind you a mere 15 feet away, this is yet another reason why you should not have been trying to pass between two trucks. Don't get yourself boxed in with someone that close, let that person who is in such a hurry that they insist on being a mere 15 feet away pass you, by YOU getting out of the way before passing on the wrong side between two trucks.

If you see the situation you described happening all the time then you need to adjust your driving habits because other peoples habits don't cause them to see this happen all the time.

SLOW DOWN


RE: Those pesky teens
By omnicronx on 10/7/2008 10:38:51 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
If you see the situation you described happening all the time then you need to adjust your driving habits because other peoples habits don't cause them to see this happen all the time.
Ask any trucker what the most common accident that rigs will get into, every single one will say cars passing through their blindspot. You can't just say, 'well you are stupid for passing a rig', well that just is stupid to say. Trucks usually sit in the far right lane, obviously you are going to pass them. If you are in the middle of passing a rig when it happens to switch lanes, there is at least 20 feet in either direction in which you must stop or speed up. Now I don't know where you live, but I rarely see people follow 20 feet behind me.
I always keep a safe distance, but the sad truth is, most people dont. So please do not tell me what does and does not happen, I have had it happen to myself, and have witnessed it.

Someone already stated all they have to do is have a time limit of how long you can sustain a speed over the limit. This is being productive, you just merely saying NOPE ITS THE FAULT OF THE DRIVER, its just plain being naive and not productive at all to the conversation.

People get boxed in all the time, even without trucks being around, and they have to make evasive moves, having a hard limit on speed will cause accidents. I understand this will be offset by the young drivers that will no longer be able to speed, but at what cost? Transferring accidents from one demographic to another is not what I call groundbreaking which was all that I was saying. Of course there are many ways around this as previous posters have pointed out, but merely slowing down and never going over 60 is not an acceptable solution.


RE: Those pesky teens
By SavagePotato on 10/7/2008 10:37:33 AM , Rating: 2
This guy has the right idea.

You have NO, I repeat NO business being alongside one tractor trailer much less between two of them unless it is for the couple seconds it takes to accelerate and pass them. If you cannot manage sufficient speed to pass them you should not be doing so.

It's about situational awareness, if you put yourself in a dangerous position you are going to get hit sooner or later.


RE: Those pesky teens
By omnicronx on 10/7/2008 10:43:22 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
You have NO, I repeat NO business being alongside one tractor trailer much less between two of them unless it is for the couple seconds it takes to accelerate and pass them.
So nobody has any business driving in the middle or passing lane EVER is what you are saying. Everyone should drive 60mph and staggered as to not get into any accidents. What candy land do you live in? You ever been to New York or Montreal? You can be the best driver in the world and others will put you in bad a bad position regardless of how fast you are going, and how much you are reading into the situation.


RE: Those pesky teens
By SavagePotato on 10/7/2008 11:07:42 AM , Rating: 2
Absolutely, you have no business driving side by side with a tractor trailer unless you are passing them preferably on the left, or sitting at an intersection.

No one can force you to sit alongside a tractor trailer, but if we are talking about city traffic, we are talking about much lower speeds to begin with and more likely stop and go if it's that dense.

Out on the highway 100% absolutely without question you have no business anywhere but the right hand lane unless you are passing, or turning It's not there just to drive in for fun. Unless you are talking about three or four lanes or more, but that's not exactly what I am talking about when I say highway. I am talking strictly about 2 lane highways when I am talking about the left hand lane being a passing lane.


RE: Those pesky teens
By rcc on 10/6/2008 2:58:37 PM , Rating: 2
Right, wrong, or indifferent. 2 comments.

1. you can always get out from between 2 rigs faster by braking, than by accelerating. Even if you have to limit your braking rate for someone following too close. Unless you are driving something with very good performance, and even then it's iffy. But I'll grant you it's not as satisfying.

2. Even if we stipulate accelerating is better. Change the programming so the accelerator overrides the limit for 15 seconds. Enough time to get out of trouble, then drops you back down.

However, personally I don't like the idea of limiting speed or acceleration on any vehicle. Kids, and everyone else, can enter a corner to fast, sometimes you need to maintain, or accelerate to maintain control and make it through the turn. Having the car override your pedal is a good way to end up off the road.

So, be parents, teach the kids as best we're able. And, buy them a clunker until you know if they are going to be safe, or not. Natural selection at its finest.


RE: Those pesky teens
By omnicronx on 10/6/2008 3:05:56 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
1. you can always get out from between 2 rigs faster by braking, than by accelerating. Even if you have to limit your braking rate for someone following too close. Unless you are driving something with very good performance, and even then it's iffy. But I'll grant you it's not as satisfying.
I am not denying for one second that this is not true. Simple physics shows this, but just because this is the simplest route, does not mean it is always possible. Many safetly regulations are put in place just to deal with the chance issues like what I am describing. You can't just merely say, oh well it won't happen most of the time so it is a chance we are going to have to take.
quote:
2. Even if we stipulate accelerating is better. Change the programming so the accelerator overrides the limit for 15 seconds. Enough time to get out of trouble, then drops you back down.
This would be perfectly acceptable, if it does not allow a sustained speed after 15 then there would be no problem and I totally agree with you. My beef was with those that said this could never happen, or it was a non issue, but good thinking, I never thought of your simple solution.


RE: Those pesky teens
By mindless1 on 10/6/2008 4:29:39 PM , Rating: 2
That's no solution, if after 15 seconds the car has no reserve, if it then is forced to decelerate to under 80 someone could be in a similar situation to what you had suggested and then HAS to plan defensive maneuvers around slowing down like they should have done in the first place.

A better solution would be limiting the car to 65MPH normally and only allowing up to 80 MPH for a few seconds. Remember that if someone's driving skill or attention is at issue enough that this would be forced upon them, the last thing they ought to be doing is accelerating when already at 80.

Slow down. It is ridiculous to be driving so fast with other cars 15' away and going between trucks, you are an accident waiting to happen.


RE: Those pesky teens
By Spivonious on 10/6/2008 3:36:59 PM , Rating: 2
Why are you passing on the right anyway?


RE: Those pesky teens
By clovell on 10/6/2008 3:43:22 PM , Rating: 2
Hah - sometimes you have to. The I-94/I-294 Tollway in Illinois (which has been underconstruction since forever) is like that - the big rigs are supposed to stick to the 2 left lanes (sometimes they can't even get that right), so the only way to pass them is on the right.

But, even on 'normal' roads, suppose you're in the middle lane and the big rig on your left is actually passing you.


RE: Those pesky teens
By TheSpaniard on 10/7/2008 8:05:01 AM , Rating: 2
OH MY GOD

you are from Illinois... I know fully understand your stance on accelerating as the correct solution for a dangerous situation.


RE: Those pesky teens
By clovell on 10/7/2008 2:52:28 PM , Rating: 2
Thank you for understanding my struggle. The highway system here is madness.


RE: Those pesky teens
By menace on 10/7/2008 4:28:03 PM , Rating: 2
I remember a few years back a long stretch of I-70 in Illinois had signs that said "trucks use left lane next xx miles" for a year or two. The only logical reason I could think of was that the right lane pavement was already so beat up by the trucks that IDOT shifted the truck traffic to the left lane so they could put off making proper road repairs.


RE: Those pesky teens
By clovell on 10/8/2008 11:14:57 AM , Rating: 2
Yeah, that's standard operating procedure here. Without my morning coffee, my commute would be a bloodbath.


RE: Those pesky teens
By TheSpaniard on 10/7/2008 8:14:26 AM , Rating: 2
I will however give you an instance where speeding is acceptable.

2 lane highway, driver who slows down 15 - 20 mph below the speed limit every time he sees oncoming traffic. when it passes he speeds back up. in order to pass him you will at least need to do 15 mph faster than him.

been in that situation in Florida. while technically safer not to pass him. he sure as hell annoys me


RE: Those pesky teens
By FreeTard on 10/6/2008 2:08:58 PM , Rating: 2
Do you have the option to slow down?

2 second rule; follow 2 seconds behind the vehicle in front of you, plus 1 second for every 6' of vehicle you're driving.

I get "cut off" a lot. But it's probably because I see some jerk-wad speeding up beside me, and I slow down rather than racing them.


RE: Those pesky teens
By Tsuwamono on 10/6/2008 2:27:38 PM , Rating: 2
That works but actually about 30 minutes ago i was driving in Ottawa and I got cut off by a guy in a Tahoe towing a trailer... he squeezed into the 1.5 second hole between me and the car infront of me with about 1 foot to spare from my bumper.

I don't agree with the speed limited. I do think they should limit the acceleration to something that doesnt allow burn outs or other such shenanigans.

If your kid cant stay under the limit just take away the keys.. if he has his own car, happen to mention at a donut shop to someone "You had no idea" that your kid drives such and such vehicle and drives irresponsibly.

I'm 20 and i find no such problems with staying under the speed limit most of the time. If i want to race there are plenty of race tracks around to go do it safely and legally. As for the music thing well... nobody touches my music. That music is the only thing keeping me from running the guy off the road who just cut me off then slowed to 80kph in a 110 zone.


RE: Those pesky teens
By omnicronx on 10/6/2008 2:33:35 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
I don't agree with the speed limited. I do think they should limit the acceleration to something that doesnt allow burn outs or other such shenanigans.
quote:
If your kid cant stay under the limit just take away the keys.. if he has his own car, happen to mention at a donut shop to someone "You had no idea" that your kid drives such and such vehicle and drives irresponsibly.
Thank you, I totally agree. Limiting their speed does nothing, especially when most offenses by teens are not on the highway, and are on city roads where 70-80MPH is still very dangerous, and this little device will do nothing.


RE: Those pesky teens
By strikeback03 on 10/6/2008 2:39:11 PM , Rating: 2
Someone who stays under the speed limit?

All my driving experience in Canada is west of Lake Ontario, but the average speed on the highways always seems to be 80-90 MPH, well above the 100KPH speed limit.


RE: Those pesky teens
By tastyratz on 10/6/2008 3:05:40 PM , Rating: 2
What everyone is missing is 2 things.
1. This device is optional. The parent may or may not use this making its use and configuration up to their discretion (leading to 2)
2. This device is configured by the parent. The "default" speed is 80. It can be configured as low as 65. What they didn't mention in the article is the configuration ceiling (how high a speed it can actually be set to as a max) Someone could argue going over 80 in an emergency. You cannot argue traveling over 110mph to avoid a big rig.

I can see having a ceiling but I can also see improvement on the system. While there should not be just an 80 mph limitation on the speed, there should be a time limited speed ceiling. For example, the parent can choose 75 mph as the limitation. The person traveling in the car should be allowed to exceed the speed (with a reminder ding) for a specific period of time. Passing and emergency maneuvers would be allowed over 75 but for a maximum time of 15 seconds. This eliminates high speed cruising but allows safety maneuvers. They can even setup some sort of light (similar to a check engine light) that shows the speed was exceeded since the last time the parent reset it (little Johnny has some explaining to do).

People argue about soccer moms on side streets. There is no way to protect people on the road from idiot drivers fully (sans a different public licensing system) This is an excellent system that most definitely helps improve road safety It's a good forward thinking concept from Ford. I applaud them.


RE: Those pesky teens
By SavagePotato on 10/7/2008 11:43:38 AM , Rating: 2
If you drive a light truck you already are speed limited to 100mph anyway. Due to the quality of light truck tires they are all governed to 160kmph here in Canada at least, I would assume they are governed to 100mph in the usa.

I don't think 80mph is really all that unreasonable as a maximum speed limit in this application.


RE: Those pesky teens
By walk2k on 10/6/2008 5:22:43 PM , Rating: 2
Why the hell would you SPEED UP if you were being cut off by a truck? Just tap the brakes and slow down a tick...

No accident can be avoided by speeding UP (especially over 80mph!!) that can't be BETTER avoided by slowing down instead.


RE: Those pesky teens
By menace on 10/7/2008 2:32:28 PM , Rating: 2
I beg to differ. I've had trucks change lanes when I was right beside the cab. I don't know but I guess a lot of times they just glance at mirrors and down bother turning their heads to the left or pay attention to the convex mirror. Speeding up to avoid it was much easier and safer (esp if I'm in the left lane and can hug the shoulder if I have to) otherwise I'd have to slam the brakes down to like 30 mph to avoid the side swipe and risk a rear end collision. Now if I were driving a lame Metro or something I may choose differently but having a V6 is nice just for those situations.


RE: Those pesky teens
By clovell on 10/7/2008 2:49:51 PM , Rating: 2
Precisely. Not all situations fit in pretty little boxes.


RE: Those pesky teens
By rudolphna on 10/6/08, Rating: -1
RE: Those pesky teens
By Spivonious on 10/6/2008 3:50:47 PM , Rating: 2
Umm, first of all you shouldn't be passing someone if your exit is coming up. Second of all, if you can't safely make it over, then you go to the next exit and turn around.

Didn't anyone else learn this is driver's ed.?


RE: Those pesky teens
By noirsoft on 10/6/2008 5:41:54 PM , Rating: 4
While I didn't take Driver's Ed here in North Carolina where I currently live, what they do seem to teach here is:

1) If you are about to miss your exit, go ahead and drive on the grass. Alternatively, stop on the shoulder and back up in order to make your exit.
2) If you turn onto an on-ramp and see that the freeway is busy, stop, back up, and get back onto the surface street.

I see one of these two behaviors at least once per month. I think the rule of thumb is "So long as your car can physically perform the maneuver, it's legal."


RE: Those pesky teens
By Lonyo on 10/6/2008 1:50:06 PM , Rating: 2
This isn't about who drives safely/dangerously.
This is about parents being able to have peace of mind that their kids won't destroy the family car.
If the parent does it, they have to hold themself responsible, and they are the only one to blame, and they will have to sort out the problem.
If the kid does something while driving too fast, the parent will feel at fault for letting the kid use the car, the kid will be at fault for the accident, and the parent will have to shoulder the costs for repairs/etc (excess at least) while not being actually at fault.

This way parents can feel slightly more secure that their kids won't go *totally* wild in the car.


RE: Those pesky teens
By Fronzbot on 10/6/2008 1:55:35 PM , Rating: 5
Then don't let your kids get their license until you feel comfortable with them driving on their own! If you're too lazy to be a parent, well, you shouldn't have had kids in the first place!
And if the kid messes up the car it's the kids fault and the kid should have to pay. Teach them some damn responsibility (and before I get flamed to death- When I turned 17 I bought my own car, paid my own insurance and payed for my own gasoline with no help from "mommy" or "daddy". I worked TWO jobs one summer just to save up for that car- though in retrospect I wish I would've saved it for college. But I learned a valuable lesson: financial responsibility.)

Now let the flaming/rating down commence!


RE: Those pesky teens
By clovell on 10/6/2008 1:57:34 PM , Rating: 2
Effing A.


RE: Those pesky teens
By SeeManRun on 10/6/2008 2:03:30 PM , Rating: 2
Its easy to say you were the poster child for responsible teens, and maybe you were. But wait until you have kids that are driving age, and then maybe you can speak intelligently on this subject.


RE: Those pesky teens
By Tsuwamono on 10/6/2008 2:36:32 PM , Rating: 2
Having kids at driving age has nothing to do with it. being a parent does. Maybe you should try parenting before you insult his ability to analyze the situation.


RE: Those pesky teens
By FITCamaro on 10/6/2008 3:03:26 PM , Rating: 2
I agree with you 100%.

Unfortunately, if the teen still does something stupid, their parents are liable.


RE: Those pesky teens
By Sulphademus on 10/6/2008 1:56:24 PM , Rating: 5
Funny, I totalled my car when I was 16 going <20 mph.

Might be 'peace of mind' to know that your kid cant do 120 in your Mustang GT but there's plenty of bad stuff that'll wreck your day at FAR slower speeds.


RE: Those pesky teens
By geddarkstorm on 10/6/2008 2:18:52 PM , Rating: 2
However, it's a lot less likely they'll get themselves killed while going at slower speeds. Oh, I'm sure there are ways - but the number of ways and chances increases proportionally to speed.


RE: Those pesky teens
By FITCamaro on 10/6/2008 4:06:07 PM , Rating: 2
If they run a red light, it won't really matter how fast they're going when someone else plows into them.


RE: Those pesky teens
By mindless1 on 10/6/2008 4:43:03 PM , Rating: 2
If they're driving slower they're more likely to notice red lights and have enough time to stop. If they're driving slower the person who would've plowed into them has more time to see them and react including slowing down themselves.

If someone else plows into them it can still make a lot of difference in damage to be driving slower because it's not just the initial impact that matters so long as their neck isn't broken at that point.

How fast you're going almost always matters.


RE: Those pesky teens
By Runiteshark on 10/6/08, Rating: -1
RE: Those pesky teens
By mindless1 on 10/6/2008 8:32:30 PM , Rating: 4
I hope you grow up between now and when you get your driver's license.


RE: Those pesky teens
By jimbojimbo on 10/6/2008 1:51:29 PM , Rating: 2
But does that person own that car or does she drive yours? If I was going to lend my car to someone like that I'd be more tempted to toss them the "special" key. If she drives her own what can you do?

I'm all for this idea. Make it so the GPS records driving patterns and disables the user from deleting anything and it's good.


RE: Those pesky teens
By lotharamious on 10/6/2008 3:42:14 PM , Rating: 2
Sounds like someone had a bad Monday at school...


RE: Those pesky teens
By chick0n on 10/16/2008 9:55:41 AM , Rating: 1
rofl.

I dont know where you live, but in NYC. oh yes I see these "mid-30s" women yapping on her cel phone with music blaring ALL THE TIME.

Hell one time the woman was talking on the cell with her left hand WHILE sipping coffee on her RIGHT hand.

Young drivers dont kill people, stupid drivers are. (and Im in my 30s)


What about blocking cell phone signals?
By Lord 666 on 10/6/2008 1:31:48 PM , Rating: 3
This key should also use jamming technology to block incoming and outgoing cell phone signals.




By SavagePotato on 10/6/2008 1:40:38 PM , Rating: 5
That's kind of boring.

It should have a spring loaded rubber hand that slaps you across the face and knocks your cell phone out the window when it is detected to be transmitting and receiving.


By djc208 on 10/6/2008 2:03:28 PM , Rating: 2
That's probably illegal since it could interfere with desired signals, i.e. the ambulance in the next lane looses all communication.

It would also be bad if they were trying to dial 911 or a similar emergency call and couldn't because of the key.


RE: What about blocking cell phone signals?
By isorfir on 10/6/2008 2:29:28 PM , Rating: 2
So, passengers can no longer make calls/text/check GPS on their phone?

Sorry, I know you can get a warm and fuzzy feeling from this idea, but it's not realistic.


By Lord 666 on 10/6/2008 3:15:21 PM , Rating: 2
Yes.

If a teen is driving (who else would get the nanny-key) and the passengers are of the same age, yes. I remember so many times where I was disruptive while other friends were driving and vice-versa. The same reason why in NJ teens with a junior license can't drive with other teens until they get their full license.


Great idea
By walk2k on 10/6/08, Rating: 0
RE: Great idea
By TechGuyCalifornia on 10/6/2008 3:06:25 PM , Rating: 2
This is called "Display of speed" and is also illegal but agree with your comment on this. I think everything should be legal at 18 hence the label "adult" at 18. If they have a problem with drinking at 18 then change the "adult" age to 19 and make everything legal at that point. also, driving would be a privelage only at the age of 18, no sooner..


RE: Great idea
By TechGuyCalifornia on 10/6/2008 3:07:47 PM , Rating: 2
sorry the correct term is "exhibition of speed"


RE: Great idea
By 4wardtristan on 10/6/2008 7:13:37 PM , Rating: 2
thats ridiculous. im only 19 and i use the highway every day to and from work. without the highway, i cant get to work.. without work, i cant get money, without money, i cant live

see where thats going?


RE: Great idea
By walk2k on 10/6/2008 8:15:58 PM , Rating: 1
I think this is mostly for teens (ie under 18) driving mummy & daddy's car, not adults (over 18) with jobs driving to work.

No teen has to use a freeway to get to school period, and even if they did, 45mph is legal minimum speed (though I don't know if it's safe, make it 55mph then ok?)

No school-age teen NEEDS to drive a car at all, ever. Take the school bus and get an afterschool job that doesn't require driving. No excuses.


RE: Great idea
By menace on 10/7/2008 2:45:30 PM , Rating: 2
Yeah they can call that "granny mode"

quote:
Plus you need to make it so the pedal only goes 1/3 (or less, depending on the car) I see way too many kids burning rubber peeling out of the school parking lot in their dad's Mustang/etc even though the speed is under 30 it's still annoying and dangerous.

You can set it to keep traction control on at all times, this keeps them from spinning the wheels and burning rubber. You may still get a short screech but not a lot more. But still I think clamping acceleration would be another good option.


Old News...
By Aeonic on 10/6/2008 5:02:11 PM , Rating: 5
When I was a kid, we had something similar to this. It was called having a crappy car. There was no chance to catch me speeding in it.




RE: Old News...
By walk2k on 10/6/2008 5:16:38 PM , Rating: 2
I wasn't even aware the Ford Focus could GO 80mph :)

They need to put these in ie. Mustangs. There have been 2 deaths from teens driving Mustangs around here in the last 2 years. Personally I think anyone who would give the keys to a brand new Mustang to their 17 year old football quarterback son should have their parental rights revoked but still...


RE: Old News...
By menace on 10/7/2008 4:06:02 PM , Rating: 2
Yeah, we drove my dad's old '62 station wagon that had over 200k miles on it. You could keep it floored and not make it past 60. Zero to sixty in... infinity?


2010?
By pauldovi on 10/6/2008 1:45:41 PM , Rating: 2
Does it really take that long to develop?




RE: 2010?
By v3rt1g0 on 10/6/2008 2:01:43 PM , Rating: 2
The "2010" model year cars are generally released early in 2009, which is only a few months away.


RE: 2010?
By Nik00117 on 10/6/2008 3:26:27 PM , Rating: 2
I work at a ford dealership, we should have 2010 mustangs very soon, fusiosn aren't far behind.


RE: 2010?
By mindless1 on 10/6/2008 4:52:23 PM , Rating: 2
If it's being released in 2010, it has already been developed and is being extensively tested now. Since it's nearer 2009 than not, let's hope it has more than 1 year of testing before it shows up in new models.


Ehmmmm...
By iVTec on 10/6/2008 2:05:24 PM , Rating: 2
Not really something wrong with the article info,rather than with the way Mr.Mick thinks...:P

The possibility of saying "bye bye" to the new family car is enough for many parents to say "bye bye" to the possibility of their teen borrowing the new family car.

So,it's the fear of losing their precious new car that motivates parents,not the fear of losing their children?Interesting...

-------------------

ON topic,i think it's a good idea,in fact a similar feature existed long before this...I remember that Revo had an option in their Seat Leon and Ibiza ECU maps to limit r.p.m. to 4.000 and speed to 60 Km/h...So your sonny boy wouldn't go off in flames...




RE: Ehmmmm...
By DeepBlue1975 on 10/6/2008 6:10:12 PM , Rating: 2
Yeah, I was about to point that before but then I forgot about it.
Why would you wanna have any children if then you're gonna give more importance to a car than to their lives?

People thinking that way should refrain from having children, at least till they change their minds.


RE: Ehmmmm...
By menace on 10/7/2008 3:54:56 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Why would you wanna have any children if then you're gonna give more importance to a car than to their lives?
Typical idealist thinking. Of course you would have concern for both your property and your children's lives. And the two are not separable. Worrying about them totaling a car is not just worry about the financial loss because such an accident will also equate to some risk of injury or death to your child.

If you apply so much weight on the importance of your children's lives over your money, shouldn't buy a super-safe $80,000 full size Mercedes. Do you value that extra $65,000 over your child's life? You monster!

Life and property are always a compromise, you can only deal with the choices you can reasonably afford. For some people the only affordable choice is to not let their kids drive.

The original poster's premise is flawed:

quote:
So,it's the fear of losing their precious new car that motivates parents,not the fear of losing their children?
Not letting your kid borrow the new car means BOTH lowering your financial risk and lowering risk to your child.


Solution - Yaris
By clovell on 10/6/2008 1:51:01 PM , Rating: 3
Yaris - An economical solution that doesn't facilitate abdication of parental responsibility.




RE: Solution - Yaris
By Integral9 on 10/8/2008 8:49:55 AM , Rating: 2
...not to mention a reduced ability to mate.


By Beenthere on 10/6/2008 2:05:20 PM , Rating: 3
Statistically teens are both inexperienced at driving and have the most accidents. A high percentage of these accidents are caused by drinking, speeding, drugs and in-attentive drivers. Those are the facts.

80 mph is still plenty of speed to get killed with on city streets with almost no effort. What we need in the U.S. is what many European countries have - proper driver's education and stiff penalties for operating a vehicle under the influence. Since that will never happen in the U.S. - the land of entitlement, at least Ford has offered parents a chance to impose some control befoe their children kill themselves or innocent by-standers.

I'm also in favor of jail time and suspended licenses for adults who violate vehiclular laws, not just teenagers.




No trust, no car !
By William Gaatjes on 10/7/2008 3:23:44 PM , Rating: 3
If you cannot trust your teens don't let them drive. And i do not like the idea of the car being limited. There can be a situation where the extra speed might be needed or the acceleration. When the car hit's the specified "teen" speed, the car will stop accelerating i assume. This i feel is unsafe on the road. If the teen cannot drive don't let them. I do like the idea of the sound limiter tho...




By Schrag4 on 10/6/2008 1:40:25 PM , Rating: 2
How about some small sign or light that would indicate to other drivers that a teenager is behind the wheel? Kinda like the big STUDENT DRIVER signs, but with much less drag of course (or with no drag if it's a new light on the front and back bumpers).

If nothing else, this feature would keep some teenagers from getting shot on Dallas freeways for only driving 80 MPH, slowing everyone down so much...




Gadget ideas
By bildan on 10/6/2008 2:35:02 PM , Rating: 2
Limiting vehicle speed to a single speed is dumb. GPS navigators are almost universal, why not limit the vehicle to the posted speed limit? Just add a speed limit database to the GIS map data. The GPS knows where you are and therefore would know the posted limit.

As for cellphone jammers, why not limit phone use to whenever the cruise control is engaged? Not perfect, but if the traffic is too heavy to use the cruise, it's probably a bad idea to be talking on the phone.




Hmm
By Glavinsolo on 10/6/2008 3:17:21 PM , Rating: 2
Its great that we are innovative and create this kind of technology but this can be easily adapted into other current technologies... example.

New MyKey technology limits speed
GPS in cars can inform drivers of speed limit along roads

If everyone had a GPS and MyKey Scenario:

GPS sets MyKey speed limit dynamically while traveling between speed limit zones which in turn eradicates speeding.




wrong key!
By Dreifort on 10/6/2008 4:19:59 PM , Rating: 1
this "teen key" sounds great and all...

but I would think research money would be better well spent on a key that makes you read aloud American road signs... in ENGLISH... or it makes your car go 35mph.

You see a sign that says Speed Limit 55 - you have to read it outloud in 10 secs or car deccelerates to 35mph. Or you see a sign that displays No Passing Lane, you have to read it out loud...in ENGLISH.

This would solve 75% of Florida's, Texas' & California's traffic violations and probably 30-40% of the rest of the country's.




RE: wrong key!
By mindless1 on 10/6/08, Rating: -1
RE: wrong key!
By TheSpaniard on 10/7/2008 8:10:08 AM , Rating: 2
no but there would be a lot of people in those states incapable of reading and speaking English


Worthless
By Ratwar on 10/6/2008 5:01:01 PM , Rating: 2
This is really a worthless implementation of technology. 80 mph is PLENTY to get you killed on anything but interstate, and I'd be more afraid of putting someone in a car that can't go over 80 mph than this alternative on the expressways around here. Plus this technology doesn't inhibit a lot of the factors that contribute to teen accidents like cellphones, alcohol, other drugs, just plain inattentiveness, inexperience, or even going over the speed limit (80 mph is still over the speed limit). Also, statistically most accidents happen near home, not on the highway where the 80 mph would matter(77% within 15 miles).




Ford....
By Reclaimer77 on 10/6/2008 5:18:53 PM , Rating: 2
The company who designed cruise control relays that suddenly and without warning set your entire vehicle ablaze along with the house its parked in....

..is going to push this ?

Yeah, no thanks. I wonder how many teens will be killed when this thing decides to malfunction.




Nothing New
By Chernobyl68 on 10/6/2008 6:04:07 PM , Rating: 2
Chevy did this with the "valet" keys for the ZR-1 Corvette over a decade ago. It required a special key to use the engine's full horsepower.




Here's an easy way:
By bravacentauri83 on 10/6/2008 11:44:56 PM , Rating: 2
Make them walk. Like grandpa back in the day. He could walk 15 miles in the snow.




Fuzzy Math
By Slash3 on 10/7/2008 12:48:32 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
When surveyed, 67 percent of teens didn't like "the man" sticking it to their driving rights. However, when the teens were informed that the system would increase the frequency that their parents lent them their car, all but 36 percent got behind the idea.


Er... what?
So 67% didn't like "the man" restricting them, but after an explanation of the system was offered, 100 - 36 = 64% got behind the idea? Now I'm no mathematician...




Is that Alexis Bledel?
By PeteRoy on 10/7/2008 4:35:11 AM , Rating: 2
The girl in the car looks like Alexis Bledel.




All about control
By Aloonatic on 10/7/2008 8:24:56 AM , Rating: 2
The next generation will be one that is raised to expect to be controlled by their parents.

Then they will be rather docile and take is as a natural progression that the state will want to control them when they are in turn adults themselves, for their own safety of course.

Not too far off of this already in the UK under the controlling Labour government, in order to fight poverty, terrorism and paedophiles of course, but road safety is a good one too, the black boxes tracking our moves for road taxing and environmental reasons has not passed them by either along with their biometric id cards and child databases all of which are in the pipeline.

It's only a matter of time unless people start to get wise and find a way to protest that wont get them a one way ticket to a well known Cuban port.




Why build cars...
By Kyanzes on 10/7/08, Rating: 0
RE: Why build cars...
By Screwballl on 10/7/2008 4:27:27 PM , Rating: 2
Because that car might travel to other states/countries...
A car sold in NY with max 55mph limits would end up causing problems when traveling the interstate through other states that may have a 75mph limit.
Besides, when the wife's water broke and it is faster to drive to the hospital via the freeway (because of sucky ambulance service), that 90-100mph comes in handy (learned this myself).


One step away from limiting everyone
By Flunk on 10/6/08, Rating: 0
better idea
By Screwballl on 10/6/08, Rating: 0
By Beenthere on 10/6/2008 3:56:07 PM , Rating: 1
First it's the Autobahn and now days most of it has speed limits equal to about 75 mph. There are still a few areas with unlimited speed, but the truck traffic makes it almost impossible to drive fast in Germany any more.

The difference between Germany and the U.S. is that they have a mandatory driver's education program that actually teaches people how to drive skillfully and safely. You even learn how to change a flat tire. Whodda thunk? :>)

The problem is Americans believe they have a God given right to have a drivers license even if they have no driving skills and exhibit irresponsible social behavior. They don't tolerate that attitude in Germany. If you are DUI in Germany you lose your license and pay an expensive fine. More importantly you don't get a drivers license in Germany until you have completed a proper driver's education and can prove your ability to drive skillfully. It also cost about $3000 to get a drivers license in Germany. Heck most Americans can't back out of their driveway without having an accident, but they are entitled to have a drivers license...

So the problem isn't the car, it's the operator. People can crash and die at 30 mph. Limiting the speed of the car isn't the real solution, teching people how to drive properly and safely is the solution.

The use of a cellphone of any kind while driving should be an immediate loss of license and a $1000 fine.

Unfortunately you can't mandate good judgment in America and you can't fix STUPID.


By Dreifort on 10/6/2008 4:22:46 PM , Rating: 2
Here in America, you get a slap on the wrist ($100-$200 fine and MAYBE pts off your license... whoopdie-doo!)

Over in Europe, the fines are much higher. I believe roughly 25% of your monthly income. And passing on the right is treated more severe than speeding.


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