Thanks to the latest technology, parents don’t have to ride in the back seat to keep an eye on teenage drivers.
Big Mom and Dad are Watching
Few events in a teenager’s life are as exciting as getting a driver’s license. And there are few things more dangerous to teens than getting behind the wheel.
Handing over the car keys can be terrifying for parents and life-threatening for their children. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the U.S. and are responsible for more than one in three fatalities in that age group, according to a January 2009 report by the Centers for Disease Control.
Teen drivers are at risk because of their inexperience, says the CDC. A limited ability to recognize hazardous situations, a tendency to speed and allow shorter distances between their cars and others and a refusal to wear seat belts all increase their risk. And teens often create even more distractions for themselves with cell phone calls, texting and playing loud music.
What can a parent do? Short of getting in the car with their teen driver every time they pull out of the driveway there haven’t been many options, says Wes Sherwood, safety communications director for Ford Motor Co. Thus, the automaker decided to address those problems with technology.
In 2007, Sherwood says, “Ford kicked off the engineering in earnest, working on a system to help parents monitor their teen’s driving.” But the company hit a roadblock, Sherwood says. “We came up with a product – a separate key for each car that would create limits on things like vehicle speed – but it was too expensive to manufacture.”
So Ford’s engineers started over. “We wanted something that was easy for parents to get and easy for them to use,” Sherwood says. “Then, we found the answer by adding to our existing technology. We already have a computer chip in the key that allows it to start the car. We just developed new software that allowed us to reprogram that key.”
The result is a new system called MyKey. “If you have teens, MyKey does what you would do if you were in the car, telling your teen, Put on your seat belt, Slow down, Turn down the radio,” Sherwood says.
With MyKey in the ignition, a car won’t go faster than 80 mph, and parents can decide to set warning chimes at speeds of 45, 55 or 65 mph. The key also activates an automatic limiter to keep stereo volumes at safe levels to help preserve teens’ hearing. And the system’s most important function, Sherwood says, “is to remind the driver about seat belt use.”
Most cars come with a belt-minder system today, with a warning chime that rings for a few minutes to remind the driver to put on a seat belt. “But with MyKey, that chime isn’t going to stop,” Sherwood says. “And it also mutes the audio system. No belt? No tunes.”
MyKey will appear this year on several 2010 Ford Motor Co. models, including the Focus, the company’s most economical model, the Taurus, Escape and Escape Hybrid and several Lincoln and Mercury vehicles. If a teen no longer drives the car, the key can be deprogrammed.
Ford’s system is one of the newest attempts at making driving safer for teens, but it’s by no means the only high-tech solution out there. Other available safety devices and monitors include:
• DriveRight 600E. This is a device that constantly monitors a car’s speed and sends data to an onboard LCD display that shows time, distance, and top and average speed. Programmable alarms will sound for excessive speed, acceleration and deceleration. The device also allows monitoring of brake lights, seat belts, power take-off and headlights. $395 from Davis Instruments (davisnet.com).
• Key2SafeDriving. Here’s a system that limits cell phone usage while driving to help prevent dangerous distractions. The system automatically reroutes cell calls to the driver’s voice mail with an automated text message that says the driver will respond when his or her destination is reached. It will be sold beginning this summer, and the company is taking reservations now. $50 from Safe Driving Systems (safedrivingsystems.com).
• MobileTEEN GPS. Offered by 21st Century Insurance, this is a real-time mobile tracking system that allows parents to monitor their teen’s speed and how safely or recklessly he or she is driving. The unit is free to policyholders with a $20/month service charge (aigteengps.com).
• Teensurance. Insurance company Safeco offers this device, which sends alert messages to parents via computer or phone, with a real-time vehicle locator, speed limit notices and driving curfew reminders. The unit costs $169 with a $20/month service fee (teensurance.com).
• Teen Safe Driver Program. American Family Insurance’s driving monitor uses a small audio/video recording device installed behind the rearview mirror. It’s triggered by erratic vehicle movements and provides a 20-second video clip of the event that is sent to analysts who review it and send their results on to parents and teens. There’s no charge for American Family customers (amfam.com).
