Cars could soon come with parental controls that limit what younger drivers can do with a vehicle.
Developed by Ford, the MyKey system limits a car's top speed, how loud its stereo can be and sounds warnings if seatbelts are not being worn.
Ford will introduce the controls on some US makes of car that are due to debut in 2009 but go on sale in 2010.
The Ford Focus will be the first to have MyKey, but the car maker said it would become a standard feature.
Warning tones
The main element of the MyKey system is to limit the top speed of a car to 80mph.
Ford says other options allow parents to limit the volume on the car stereo and make the car sound a continuous alert if drivers and passengers are not wearing a seatbelt.
Other options will let parents decide if warning tones should sound if a car goes faster than 45, 55 or 65 mph.
The car giant said the system built on the ID chips it already used in car keys to hamper car theft.
"It's making use of existing technology, and through the magic of software, we're able to build features on top of the features we already have," sad Jim Buczkowski, Ford's director of electronic and electrical systems engineering.
Ford's compact version of the Focus, which is due to go on sale in 2010, will be the first to sport MyKey. But a spokesman said it would spread to all cars in the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury range as models are updated.
"Research we've done has shown that speeding is a major factor in teen crashes, especially novice teen drivers," Anne McCartt, senior vice president for research at the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, told the AP news agency.
"So I think a system that tries to correct the speeding behaviour has the potential to improve safety," she added.
i think the speed aspect of it would be a good idea though.. too many young people just passing their test and stepping into powerfull cars. A speed restriction wouldn't be a bad thing
the speed control is a good idea but someone will find a way around it sooner or later.
I agree that none of understand the cost or running or maintaining a car till the money is from their wallet, mummy and daddy shouldn't be allowed to be a named driver till they have at least two years experience on the road.
Via ECU? So all you need to do is tech2 it :) I think its a laughable thought this, will love to see it in practice! Would be cool see R platers racing with everything theyve got til they hit 45 :P
It's all about health and safety these days. They'll probably stop hot school meals next, just incase some kid burns thier chin wi a chip or somethin. In theory the idea sounds good but what happens when they finally do get into an unrestricted car. They are going to go out and push it and not know the limits of thier abilities to drive. I don't think it will make a dramatic difference anyway, after all there is always a way around these sort of things.
