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Ford To Introduce Restrictive Car Keys For Parents

Posted by kdawson on from the no-you-cannot-borrow-my-keys dept.

thesandbender writes "Ford is set to release a management system that will restrict certain aspects of a car's performance based on which key is in the ignition. The speed is limited to 80, you can't turn off traction control, and you can't turn the stereo up to eleven. It's targeted at parents of teenagers and seems like a generally good idea, especially if you get a break on your insurance." The keys will be introduced with the 2010 Focus coupe and will quickly spread to Ford's entire lineup.

2 of 1,224 comments (clear)

  1. Re:exactly, GOV DRM backdoored into your car. by plasmacutter · · Score: 1, Troll

    Anything distracting the driver is a huge danger

    I think we need to get rid of:

    AC
    windows which open
    stereos
    adjustable seats
    tilt
    cruise
    GPS
    the tach
    map lights
    that clicking you get from the turn signals
    all seats except the driver's seat.

    You can't be selective about your distractions if you really believe that.

    --
    VLC FOR MAC IS DYING! IF YOU DEVELOP, PLEASE SAVE IT!!
  2. Re:traction control by poetmatt · · Score: 1, Troll

    Guaranteed death = hitting concrete at high speeds.

    Above 65 if you hit concrete, you're a goner too, or crippled most likely. Please don't let me hear this speed preaching garbage. 65 was forced by the feds (support it or lose our funding) and we all know that the 85/15 rule shows that it's absolute crap. Above 30 straight at concrete can very easily kill, because that's what they test for AND still has rollover warnings. Slow driving (aka disruption of traffic) can and will cause accidents.

    If there's one thing I can tell people with highway accidents, it's that hitting another car is safer than hitting concrete. If your choices are concrete or another car, choose another car (say, sideswipes/etc). Concrete is not made to be safe to be hit by cars.

    So lighten up francis, people take risks when they drive. We all know that. Being a helicopter parent is not an excuse for those same parents to be ignorant.