Curb your teenage tearaway with Ford's MyKey

New MyKey technology, developed by Ford, will be rolling out next year. The development will allow parents to put limits on their kids’ driving. They can implement speed restrictions, give fuel warnings, or prevent kids from using the radio until their seatbelt is fastened.

The full listing of features is over the jump, but as someone who has never driven, teenage or otherwise, the only message this sends is mistrust of your poor kids. Unless you have a particularly troublesome child, this seems remarkably unnecessary. Speeds artificially limited? Reduced radio volume? If you don’t trust them not to exceed 80mph, then why let them drive at all?

Features

• Max speed is limited to 80 miles per hour, and warning chimes can sound at 45, 55 and 65 miles per hour.
• The seatbelt warning chime sounds and the radio is muted until the belt is buckled.
• The low-fuel warning comes on with 75 miles remaining, instead of the usual 50 miles.
• Radio volume is limited to 44 percent of maximum.
• Safety technologies such as traction control and blind-spot detection cannot be deactivated.

Ford says that the key will come standard on the 2010 Focus, and it’ll be optional on a range of other cars, too. Expect grumpy-looking kids, and stern-looking parents to appear across the country next year. Will those kids ever buy anything from the company when they grow up? Nope.

Is this something that would sway you to buy a Ford? Do you have a teenager who regularly spins the wheels, runs out of fuel and won’t do up his or her seatbelt? Let us know in the comments.

Ford (via AutoWeek)

Related posts: Jailbreak into your car with the first car-key/mobile phone hybrid device | Space Invaders key chains – Dan’s bargain of the day