Parental controls spread to driving

Parental controls spread to driving
Ford has good news and bad news for teen drivers. On the plus side, the 2010 version of the Ford Focus will come with an extra set of keys specially geared towards adolescents.

But young drivers using those keys won't be able to take full advantage of the car's features - worried parents can use Ford's MyKey system to cap the car's maximum speed and limit the car stereo's volume when their children are in the driving seat.
The MyKey technology is adapted from the pre-existing SecuriLock passive anti-theft system. It identifies which set of keys are in the ignition and then choses between an 'adult' or 'teen' driving mode.

Inevitably, opinion polling reveals a generational divide in the new technology's popularity. Three-quarters of parents think it's a great idea but two-thirds of teens were appalled by the prospect of an imposed cap on their speed.

But when Ford pointed out that the new controls would likely encourage their parents to give them more driving freedom the number of disgruntled teenagers almost halved, which suggests Ford might be onto something here. MyKey is set to appear on other Ford models in future, the company says.

Colin Barras, online technology reporter