Could Ford MyKey Reduce Teen Accident Rate?
Teenagers comprise just 10 percent of the driving population, but make up 12 percent of the fatalities. These drivers are young, inexperienced, and are very often subjected to serious distractions in the car in the form of loud music, fellow passengers and cell phones.
Last year, Ford introduced the MyKey safety feature in several models of its cars, including the Taurus and Focus. The technology acts like a second parent in the car, placing speed limits and issuing warnings to buckle up, there by keeping teen motorists safer. Those features will become standard on several Ford models expected to roll out this year.
MyKey was developed by Ford safety manager Andrew Sarkisian, himself the father of two teenage girls. Sarkisian wanted a feature that could act like a second parent in the car, and control some teen driving behaviors. MyKey allows parents to set a maximum speed limit level of 80mph, and warns motorists when drivers and front seat passengers are not wearing seatbelts. The fuel warning system is modified to show low-fuel warnings earlier than on the standard. The audio system can be set at a maximum of half volume, and parents can keep track of their children's mileage.
Not everybody agrees that MyKey will have much impact on the high accident fatality rates involving these motorists, however. Most teenagers start out with an affordable and used car for their first ride, and may not have access to MyKey. In these difficult economic times, buying an expensive model with the MyKey feature, may not be easy.
Although Ford must be commended for the technology, and for making it available on more models as a standard feature, MyKey won’t compensate for a lack of awareness about the dangers of speeding, not buckling up and other causes of fatalities. We treat driving a car as a rite of passage for a teen driver, but fail to ensure that he is adequately informed about safe driving. The freedom to drive comes with the responsibility to drive safely, keeping the rights of other motorists in mind, and in my opinion, that’s not something that you can buy with any technology.
Scott Grossman is a Bergen County car accident lawyer, representing injured victims of auto accidents in Bergen, Monmouth, Passaic and Ocean Counties, and across New Jersey.
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