FORD to release 'nanna state' limited cars 2010

[bdave351]

In October, Ford unveiled a "MyKey" device which allows parents to control how fast their teenagers drive, limits the volume on the car radio and makes sure their seat belts are fastened.

Ford said that it will be a standard feature starting next year on the 2010 Ford Focus and other Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models.


http://www.news.com.au/technology/st...014239,00.html

Comments?
Yet another growing form of cant take responsibility for your own actions?
Pressure from political lobby looking to be seen to be doing something rather than making a real effort to improve driving standards?

[cs123]

I can't see a problem with parents limiting the performance of cars they own when their kids use them.

[Buzz Box]

Can I buy the key to take on the train?? Oh god no phones going off what piece lol

[GTP owner]

I won't be buying one

[mowog]

I got an XR4 as the family run about because it had good safety features and a reasonable level of performance. Sometimes a slow car can be dangerous...

But if the main family car is something like an XR6 Turbo then an option to reduce power to N/A levels when the kids drive would be a good thing.

[bdave351]

Its a very very small step though from this limit being optional when you feel like it to being mandatory all the time.

Harold the Pedestrian will be able to scream after some P plater dies being a tool in a wrx car chase and says this has been proven to save lives so should be mandatory etc and a short campaign later and its switched on.


Sorry Im being very cynical recently but Im losing faith in our Govts idea on democracy.

[GTP owner]

If it safe for p platers, then maybe we should apply it to all drivers......

[XRQTR]

Seeing as most road deaths and accidents involving younger drivers have speed/concentration as a major contributing factor I really don't see an issue with taking speed out of the equation. Also by limiting the sound level from the stereo maybe they will actually hear the Ambo's behind them trying to get past.

I mean the power restrictions that were supposed to stop young drivers from driving high powered cars obviously haven't worked as so many use the "only car" exception.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Its a good idea, even if you can speed limit the car to 120 I cant see the safety issue then, they can still safely overtake etc when they need to.

[Fev]

Originally Posted by GTP owner

If it safe for p platers, then maybe we should apply it to all drivers......

only problem then would be anything with over 100kw's would be obsolete..

[kocho]

Why do we need road cars that go over 130km/h anyway?

[flappist]

Originally Posted by kocho

Why do we need road cars that go over 130km/h anyway?

Spoken like a true city boy. Well apart from the 130 limit in NT there are many many occaisions when a short burst of speed is needed to avoid a dangerous situation in rural and regional areas.

e.g. You are overtaking a truck or line of trucks with the sun behind you and a vehicle pops over the hill in the distance coming toward you.

Do you immediately brake causing chaos behind you for anyone following and scaing the hell out of the trucks who have no idea what you are about to do.
OR
Do you just sit on 100 and hope and pray that you do not have a head on killing several people because it is better to be dead than to speed.
OR
Do you never overtake so that you along with several other idiots cause such an inconvenience and chaos to normal road users that there ends up being a multi car pileup with many many dead.
OR
Do you put your foot down and get past the trucks and then slow back to the limit?

[XR6_661]

Originally Posted by kocho

Why do we need road cars that go over 130km/h anyway?

1/4 Mile =)

[GTP owner]

Originally Posted by Fev

only problem then would be anything with over 100kw's would be obsolete..

Sorry, i was being sarcastic.
If the wowsers had their way, we would only be driving buzz boxes, but i know that i would not be buying one.
As for the argument about turning stereos down, then how about banning deaf people, or perhaps old people with less than perfect hearing?

[ltd_on20s]

Originally Posted by kocho

Why do we need road cars that go over 130km/h anyway?

why do we need gyms when you can ride a bike to be fit?

why do we have many different manufacturers?

why do we have motorbikes with anything from 40cc to 1400cc +?

why do we have freddo frogs when we all know caramello koalas are the best?

simple. because of choice. we have the choice to buy what we want.
wether the car can do over 130 or not is irellevant. thats where the operators responsibilities come in.
how many people on here have done there cars up with 350/450+ hp? i doubt its so they can flog it down a main road at above 130kph......

[Rock ape]

Originally Posted by kocho

Why do we need road cars that go over 130km/h anyway?

Oh dear i think you need to trade that Falcon for a Toyota. I see you have some mods to, why????

[5.4 GT]

Originally Posted by bdave351

In October, Ford unveiled a "MyKey" device which allows parents to control how fast their teenagers drive, limits the volume on the car radio and makes sure their seat belts are fastened.

Shouldn't this be a mandatory feature for Ford to implement rather than just limit it to their parental control program of teens? I know in some states it's not required that you wear a seatbelt (how ridiculous is that rule... thats the land of the free for you), but this may help change that rule if the car requires you to wear it before moving.

[burnz]

i can see the RTA with Mykey's. (i see more sales for holden)

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by XRQTR

Seeing as most road deaths and accidents involving younger drivers have speed/concentration as a major contributing factor I really don't see an issue with taking speed out of the equation. Also by limiting the sound level from the stereo maybe they will actually hear the Ambo's behind them trying to get past.

I mean the power restrictions that were supposed to stop young drivers from driving high powered cars obviously haven't worked as so many use the "only car" exception.

I think the fact that many drivers ignore (or gain exemption for) the power restrictions is an enforcement issue, not so much "failure" of the rule itself..

In much the same way you can argue the reason speed camera's aren't working is because people keep ignoring them by speeding and getting booked!

As for the feature as an "option" i don't see a problem...

[Ohio XB]

Ford has been getting a lot of positive feedback on this feature. It only limits top speed (to my knowledge) and does not hamper acceleration for when it is needed.


How many here are parents of teenagers? I think I might have used this technology if it was available when my son was a teenager.

As for texting while driving, talking on cell phones, I have read several times about the distraction being as detrimental as being intoxicated. I cannot believe anyone texting while driving, yet it happens all the time.


Steve

[Bucknaked]

Just like valet mode on your flash tuner.

[FGII-XR6]

looks like a good move to me might actually save some young lives. It will be popular with fleet owners too

[Auslandau]

Originally Posted by bdave351

In October, Ford unveiled a "MyKey" device which allows parents to control how fast their teenagers drive, limits the volume on the car radio and makes sure their seat belts are fastened.

Ford said that it will be a standard feature starting next year on the 2010 Ford Focus and other Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models.


http://www.news.com.au/technology/st...014239,00.html

Pffffft! Been selling those for years ...... comes standard with all 1.5 litre Buzz boxes ....... not an option though, just standard!



| [/url] |

[prydey]

so doing 110km/h in a 40/50/60/70/80 zone is safe now because the car is limited to that speed :

i've never understood the car restrictions and what not the various govt's have put in place. people can kill themselves or others in a datto 120y just as easy as in a more powerful vehicle.

the cars only do what the clown in the driver's seat tells it to do. nothing more, nothing less.

maybe they can implement some sort of breatho device attached to the ignition system that you have to clear 1st. obviously that is flawed as well as various things can trigger a raised level but i think rather than handicap the cars they should focus more on the fact that an extroadinarily high proportion of people, not always young, are under the influence of something whilst driving, often resulting in them thinking they are even more invincible than a normal teenager and a better driver than schumacher.

[Jack91]

Some good comments on that site:

"Great. So you're in the car, you have an accident, your key gets stuck in "block" mode, and you can't call 000 to get help because of some idiot American's idea. What ever happened to education? Teach the bloody kids that talking on a phone while driving is unacceptable. Smack it into their heads, or don;t let them drive! Dead simple! "

and

"Um what happens if someone else in the car NOT driving wishes to make or receive mobile phone calls? Or is that illegal too? Surely they can't calibrate it just to block the drivers mobile phone. But what if a passenger wants to use the driver's phone to say, call for help? Do they have to pull over and pull the keys out of the ignition? Bloody impractical I say. "

Too right about the mobile phone part I think. I dont talk or text while driving but its like the same as limiting cars to 130 if you;re overtaking a line of cars, its just too unsafe if something should happen.

[kocho]

Originally Posted by ltd_on20s

why do we need gyms when you can ride a bike to be fit?

why do we have many different manufacturers?

why do we have motorbikes with anything from 40cc to 1400cc +?

why do we have freddo frogs when we all know caramello koalas are the best?

simple. because of choice. we have the choice to buy what we want.
wether the car can do over 130 or not is irellevant. thats where the operators responsibilities come in.
how many people on here have done there cars up with 350/450+ hp? i doubt its so they can flog it down a main road at above 130kph......

What? Most of those comments are irrelevant. They aren't even similar to speed restriction.

I understand the choice aspect which you are trying explain, but if Australia is limited to 130km/h then why have cars that can go faster?

Originally Posted by flappist

Spoken like a true city boy. Well apart from the 130 limit in NT there are many many occaisions when a short burst of speed is needed to avoid a dangerous situation in rural and regional areas.

e.g. You are overtaking a truck or line of trucks with the sun behind you and a vehicle pops over the hill in the distance coming toward you.

Do you immediately brake causing chaos behind you for anyone following and scaing the hell out of the trucks who have no idea what you are about to do.
OR
Do you just sit on 100 and hope and pray that you do not have a head on killing several people because it is better to be dead than to speed.
OR
Do you never overtake so that you along with several other idiots cause such an inconvenience and chaos to normal road users that there ends up being a multi car pileup with many many dead.
OR
Do you put your foot down and get past the trucks and then slow back to the limit?

Ahaha. Acceleration is different to limiting speed. I've driven in the country plenty of times. If you are stuck behind someone, what do you (well maybe not YOU) do? You wait until its safe to overtake. So, if you are limited to 130km/h and you are in the NT for example then this truck your talking about must be doing slower than 130km/h for you to be able to catch up to them let alone overtake. If they are going slower, then you've got enough to overtake, don't you?

Originally Posted by BAGTp001

Oh dear i think you need to trade that Falcon for a Toyota. I see you have some mods to, why????

You're probably right. I'm not as hardcore as you... Boohoo.


Some of you are just thinking of yourselves as opposed to the majority of society. I'm sure some of you are safe drivers but you've got to remember, some aren't. How many people are on drugs or boozing it up behind the wheel? I'd rather not be involved in a street race where I or another innocent person ends up dead because they are 'thrilled' to be racing at 170km/h or whatever.

[bdave351]

I must say I am surprised to find much support for this on a car site.

Now banning texting etc while driving is fantastic and support to the point I would like to run people off the road when they do it near me, the speed limiting and volume controls really concern me. (And yes I hate damn loud duff duff car steros too, but is this really something the government should be limiting peoples freedoms on?)

Ban low performance drivers, not high performance cars!

[cs123]

Originally Posted by bdave351

Ban low performance drivers, not high performance cars!

Spot on. What is a low performance driver though.... It's as much of a state of mind as it is skills.
Both come with years behind the wheel. It can't be learnt at a driver school and you can't test for it.

When my daughter gets behind the wheel of my car in 5 years time. I'll have that switched on of it's available. Even of only to take one possible factor away.

[Buddy 1]

They Should Just Ban Teenagers from Driving :

Really though Reading through the Comments in this Thread it is so Obvious who the Younger Drivers are as it is Oh why us we are Better than Oldies anyway!

I could go on Further however is a Fact Young people 25 & Under do Drive way too fast & do Listen to Music up way too Loud & yes I did it when I was young Because I was Young & did not know any Better

I think this Device is a Great Idea & I would Fit one for the Times my soon to be 18 year Old takes my Car for a Drive Coz you just know he would flog it a bit here & there (I would Have when Young).

I could just set my Flash Tune to Valet I Guess

So Yeah Young People we have done it all Before & our Fathers or Mothers before us & you Cannot Coz we Do know better than You! :

Have a Guess why we want to slow you down or Make Life Safer for you?

Coz we as Your Parents Love You & Care about your Life even if you Do Not!

So Whine all you want Coz we are in Charge & your Not

[krt10]

in my opinion this will just make younger drivers buy their own cars wothout this feature.
i think this will only apply to the really controlling parents who wont let their kids have their own car