Airbags to the right of them, airbags to the left of them, airbags in the back seat! Last week Ford Motor Company announced that it would be bringing to market the auto industry’s first inflatable seat belts that bring together the attributes of a traditional seat belt and an air bag to provide a new level of safety protection to rear seat passengers.

Designed to reduce head, neck and chest injuries for rear seat passengers, the belts will first find their way to the next-generation Ford Explorer, which will go into production next year for the North American market.

“Ford’s rear inflatable seat belt technology will enhance safety for rear-seat passengers of all ages, especially for young children who are more vulnerable in crashes,” said Sue Cischke, Ford group vice president of Sustainability, Environmental and Safety Engineering.  “This is another unique family technology that builds on our safety leadership, including the most top safety ratings of any automaker.”

According to Ford, more than 90 percent of those who tested the belts found them either similar to, or more comfortable than, traditional seat belts and Ford is hoping that this comfort factor will improve the current 61 percent usage in the U.S.

Sue Cischke

Not just for dummies

Here’s how the new belts will work: In the event of a frontal or side crash, vehicle sensors will determine the severity of the collision and deploy each individual belt’s air bag using a cold compressed gas (as opposed to a heat-generating chemical reaction used by traditional air bags) which reaches the bag via a specially-designed buckle from a cylinder that is housed below the rear seat.

As it fills with air, the accordion-folded bag breaks through the belt fabric and expands sideways across the bodies of rear-seat passengers in, according to Ford, the amount of time it takes a vehicle traveling at highway speeds to cover a yard of distance.

Once inflated, the belt will distribute and dissipate the energy associated with a crash across five times more of the occupant’s upper body, reducing the risk of injury while providing additional support to both the head and neck.

“It’s a very simple and logical system, but it required extensive trial and error and testing over several years to prove out the technology and ensure precise reliable performance in a crash situation,” said Srini Sundararajan, safety technical leader for Ford research and advance engineering.

2008 Toyota Prius

We get recalls

At LotPro.com, we normally don’t get involved with vehicle recalls. Due to the vigilance of the auto manufacturers as well as the NHTSA, we see recall notices nearly every week, and reporting on each one would take up most of our time.

But some are bigger than others, at the latest one, issued by Toyota, is so large and, potentially, so dangerous, that we had to comment on it here.

2008 Lexus ES350

3.8 million vehicles involved

Late yesterday, Toyota issued a press release regarding driver’s side floor mats on 7 of its models:

“Recent events have prompted Toyota to take a closer look at the potential for an accelerator pedal to get stuck in the full open position due to an unsecured or incompatible driver’s floor mat. A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.

Toyota considers this a critical matter and will soon launch a safety campaign on specific Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Throughout the process of developing the details of the action plan, it will advise the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).”

Toyota considers the risk so serious, that until it comes up with a fix, the company is urging drivers of some of its most popular vehicles to immediately remove the driver’s floor mat.

2008 Lexus IS350

The following Toyota models are affected:

2007 – 2010 Toyota Camry
2005 – 2010 Toyota Avalon
2004 – 2009 Toyota Prius
2005 – 2010 Toyota Tacoma
2007 – 2010 Toyota Tundra

The following Lexus models are affected:

2007 – 2010 Lexus ES350
2006 – 2010 Lexus IS250 and Lexus IS350

correct floor mat installation per Toyota

Toyota has also issued a series of recommended steps that owners should take if they experience “unintended acceleration” (there are still those of us that can remember when we first heard that phrase) due to floor mat interference:

•    First, if it is possible and safe to do so, pull back the floor mat and dislodge it from the accelerator pedal; then pull over and stop the vehicle.

•    If the vehicle is equipped with a conventional key-ignition, turn the ignition key to the ACC position to turn off the engine. Do NOT remove the key from the ignition as this will lock the steering wheel.

Since this is a free country and Toyota recognizes the fact that there may be a few idiots owners out there who will choose not to remove the aforementioned floor mat, the company “strongly recommends that they ensure that the correct floor mat is being used, that it is properly installed and secured, that it is not flipped over with bottom-side up, and that one floor mat is not stacked over another.”

Four-legged trouble

At LotPro.com, we appreciate all kinds of cars. From sports cars to SUVs and mini compacts to pickups, it’s all about enjoying the journey and arriving safely at your destination.

The key word here is enjoyment. For with the fall season upon us, those of us who live and work in Michigan (and pretty much deal with the problem all year long) realize that there is another thing that many of the nation’s drivers need to be aware of: vehicle-deer collisions.

Taken from claims data

Using its own data, State Farm Insurance estimates that between July 1st of 2007 and June 30th of 2009, there were more than 2.4 million collisions between the creature affectionately known by millions of children as “Bambi” and motor vehicles (which, if you do the math, equates to 100,000 per month).

We’re mentioning this now, because, according to State Farm’s figures, these chance meetings are far more likely to occur between October and December during the early evening hours.

The dubious winners

According to the insurer, the top 5 “winning” states are, in order, West Virginia, where the odds of hitting a deer in the next 12 months are 1 in 39, Michigan, where drivers have a 1 in 78 chance, Pennsylvania (1 in 94) and, finally, Iowa and Montana, where your chances, in both states, are 1 in 104.

Rounding out the top 10 are Arkansas, South Dakota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Virginia.

Avoiding a close encounter

Many vehicle-deer collisions are unavoidable, but you can lessen the odds of Bambi becoming a hood ornament or an unwanted guest in your passenger compartment by following these tips furnished by State Farm:

•    Be aware of posted deer crossing signs.  These are placed in active deer crossing areas.
•    Remember that deer are most active between 6 and 9 p.m.
•    Use high beam headlamps as much as possible at night to illuminate the areas from which deer will enter roadways.
•    Keep in mind that deer generally travel in herds – if you see one, there is a strong possibility others are nearby.
•    Do not rely on car-mounted deer whistles.
•    If a deer collision seems inevitable, attempting to swerve out of the way could cause you to lose control of your vehicle or place you in the path of an oncoming vehicle.

Step right up

At LotPro.com, we’re continually amazed at the number of awards that are handed out annually to the various manufacturers. It all began with the Motor Trend Car of the Year award in 1949. In 1970, Motor Trend added to its award by creating the Import Car of the Year category and, in 1979, the Truck of the Year added a third trophy to the mix.

Not to be outdone, Car and Driver Magazine began its “Ten Best” list in 1983 while four years later the results of the first Initial Quality Survey from J.D. Power and Associates were published and more hardware was passed out.

Since then, it seems as if everyone with a clipboard and a list of questions has jumped on the automotive survey bandwagon as car manufacturers seek to distinguish themselves from one another even as the quality competition tightens and the distance between first and last place grows ever smaller.

2009 Motorist Choice Awards

Today, two California-based marketing research firms, AutoPacific and IntelliChoice.com, have combined the owner satisfaction scores from one company to the cost and value analysis from the other to come up with yet another award which, it seems, is designed to uncover certain est-like qualities and “To find and honor those vehicles that speak to both the hearts and wallets of car buyers.”

“Automakers have long known that car buyers are looking for outstanding value, and want to be proud of the car they drive” said James Bell, publisher and editor of IntelliChoice.com. “This is data that helps consumers make purchase decisions. Every car winning a Motorist Choice Award is a defendable purchase, and their owners will be pleased, both financially and behind the wheel.”

In any case, here is the list of winners:

Summer in the city

Here at LotPro.com, we realize that much of the nation has been suffering through record-setting, sweltering summer heat for quite some time. Here in Michigan, however, the hum of air conditioning compressors has hardly been heard (in residential areas, anyway) due to an unseasonably cool summer so far this year.

Deep in the heart

I was reminded of this not too long ago when my brother, who lives in Houston, Texas, called me to tell me that the weather down there has been nearly unbearable (even for Houstonians) this summer. He also called to let me know that he was very happy with his new car, a Volkswagen Jetta Wolfsburg Edition, but that he was extremely disappointed in the air conditioning system.

I immediately reminded him that the exterior color of said Jetta was black and that anyone who lives in Houston and chooses to buy a black car should immediately be examined for any additional signs of insanity (in his defense, it should be stated that black was the only remaining color the Wolfsburg was available in by the time he made his purchase).

That being said, I proceeded to ask him his procedural checklist for cooling off his car when it had been parked outside in the hideous Texas heat. He replied that he got in the car, started it, turned on the air and then commenced to drive off. I was aghast. I proceeded to give him my advice and a few days later he called back to tell me that it had worked and his new car was much more comfortable, thank you very much.

Here, then, is what I told him:

Sweating the details

Keeping your cool, while maximizing your vehicle’s air conditioning system, requires taking a few steps ahead of time to ensure your vehicle is as efficient as possible:

1.    Take your vehicle to a mechanic to have its air conditioning system checked ahead of time to be sure the refrigerant level is okay and that there are no leaks in the system.
2.    If you live in an extremely hot climate (like Houston during the summer), invest in a good, reflecting windshield sun shade (the silver foldable type). It will keep the interior temperature lower and keep your dashboard looking good, longer. If the area you live in is really hot, you should also buy one for the rear window. This is absolutely necessary if you park outside.
3.    If your car is equipped with a tilt sunroof, tilt it up (and keep the interior sunshade closed) to allow hot air to be vented outside. If you don’t have a sunroof, crack the windows open a half inch or so (neither of these should be done if there is a chance of rain – and don’t worry, with the design of vehicle locks these days, it is extremely difficult to open a car door with a coat hanger if the window is open – just take my word for it).
4.    Park in the shadow of a tree or in a parking structure, if possible. Even a little shade will keep your vehicle much cooler.

Now that you’ve kept your vehicle as cool as possible while it’s parked, here is the drill for cooling it down once you need to get moving:

1.    Start the car, open all the windows and remove the sun shield from the windshield. Once the windows are open, turn on the air conditioner with the fan set on “high” and the fresh/recirculating position set to “fresh”.
2.    When the air coming out of the vents begins to cool, close the front windows all the way while leaving about a 2 inch opening at the top of the rear windows (if you have no rear windows, leave a 2 inch opening at the top of the front windows). Do this while you’re still parked.
3.    You can now start to drive. After a couple of minutes, close the remaining open windows (and the sunroof) then switch the fresh/recirculating switch to “recirc”.

Why all the bother?

The point is to flush the hot air out of the car as efficiently as possible. Since hot air conveniently rises and the windows can be cracked from the top, the air will move out more efficiently through the windows, allowing your car to cool down more rapidly.

Once your vehicle begins to cool, recirculating the cool air already in the cabin will allow the a/c to work more efficiently – but if you recirculate the air constantly, even when the car has been parked for a while – it will take much longer for the passenger compartment to cool off.

Stay cool

From all of us here at LotPro.com, have a cool, comfortable and enjoyable summer!

The obvious and not so obvious

Here at LotPro.com, we realize that it doesn’t take a genius to conclude that it’s going to cost you a bundle to insure a sports car like the Nissan GT-R, Dodge Viper or Audi R8. All three are very expensive, very fast, and attract traffic cops in much the same way that Brad and Angelina attract the paparazzi – you can’t miss them and they’re usually good for a money shot (using a radar with the former and a camera with the latter).

What is surprising is the inclusion of the Cobalt SS in the top 20, while Chevy’s big gun, the Corvette, is MIA (demographics may have something to do with it, since Cobalt buyers are younger and more prone to “mashing the foot feed”, as it were). BMW is well represented with the four models (M6, M5, M3 and X6), the most from any single manufacturer. Of the top 20, 14 are sports cars (we take exception to the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class being classified as a “passenger car” and have included it in this category), 4 are large SUV’s, the Cadillac Escalade EXT is the lone truck and, sans the aforementioned SL, the Audi S8 is the lone passenger car.

The results

Insure.com lists the Nissan GT-R at the top of the list, noting that “Owners of the GT-R buy it for power and speed, and their driving habits are often reflected in frequent and expensive insurance claims (insert here the Japanese word for ‘obviously’).” Not far behind is the Dodge Viper, followed by the BMW M6, Ford Shelby GT 500 and, rounding out the top 5, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

Here is the complete list of the most expensive 20:

The bottom 20 for the rest of us

Lacking a payment and insurance budget that might equal the GDP of a small third world country, the rest of us can always aim for the top least expensive vehicles to  insure.

Again, it doesn’t take a Mensa candidate to realize that this list will be populated, for the most part, by small and mid-size passenger vehicles equipped with 4 and 6-cylinder engines. Indeed, the top 5 vehicles are all Korean, with 3 Kia models and 2 from sister company Hyundai. Most of this list is comprised of various and sundry forms of family haulers with minivans (6), passenger cars (6, but really 7 if you include the Rio5 which is a hatchback) and  SUVs (5) accounting for most of the listed vehicles. The remaining two include the Scion xB (almost a minivan) and the list’s only truck, a Mazda (we’re assuming the B-Series).

The list’s biggest surprise, in more ways than one, was the venerable Lincoln Town Car, parked at number 17.

Here is the complete list of the least expensive 20:

How to save more green

Insure.com also had a number of other tips to help you save on your car insurance bill:

•    Trade higher deductibles for lower premiums – but make sure you can afford your deductible in case you crash your car

Everyone here at LotPro.com is interested in promoting driver safety. In the past, we’ve discussed everything from cell phone use to mascara application as ways that distract drivers from their most important task at hand, which is why a recent press release from UK lender ACF Car Finance caught our eye.

After a bit of research, we learned that a team of scientists from the Music Science Research department at Ben-Gurion University conducted a study to determine if in-car music simply entertained drivers, or if the tempo of a particular song had anything to do with driver distraction.

In order to measure this, 40 drivers took part in a study using a driving simulator and were exposed, for 120 minutes to 4 different conditions: no background music, slow-tempo background music (40-70 bpm), medium-tempo background music (85-110 bpm), and fast tempo background music (120-140 bpm). Simulations occurred both on city-type streets and interstate-highway conditions.

Photo credit: Kristin Oguntoyinbo/UNC Highway Safety Research Center

The beat goes on

The results of the study found that the tempo consistently affected both the simulated driving speed as well as driver estimates of their speed. In addition, the tempo of the background music “consistently affected the frequency of virtual traffic violations” (the higher the tempo, the greater the number of violations).

For its part, ACF Car Finance also conducted a consumer survey in which 73% of those polled admitted to speeding in the past and 70% of that number admitted that they listened to loud rock and fast dance music.

Top ten of the week

As a result of their findings, ACF decided to take the UK weekly top ten music lists and rearrange them in the order of tempo. To do this, the company recruited musicians to review the current offerings and their press release had this to say about this week’s list, “Whilst the official single topping the charts this week is Flo Rida’s ‘Right Round’, ACF Car Finance’s number one chart tune to drive to is actually ‘Love Song’ by Taylor Swift. The ‘Rockferry’ album by blonde bombshell and recent Brit winner Duffy, was also highlighted as having a good tempo to drive to.

Here is the complete list:

The Bottom Line

With their interest in driver safety, our hats are off to the good people at ACF Car Finance in Chester, England “pip pip cheerio!”

Living on the moon

First of all, if you live in Arizona, Texas, Florida or any other state that sees little or no freezing weather, you can stop reading right now. This is the time of year that anyone living in the northern climes really detests you anyway, so the fact that you’re reading this is quite beside the point. But if you do happen to live in one of those states blessed (or cursed, depending upon your point-of-view) with the climate that inspired Richard B. Smith to write the ditty “Winter Wonderland”, read on.

Here at LotPro.com, discussions about potholes quickly turn defensive when we’re approached by someone who doesn’t live in Michigan or any of the other states subject to this particular form of infrastructure blight. For the record, potholes are not caused by some form of substandard road construction – and please don’t begin to lecture us on the need for better road maintenance. The road crews here in Southeastern Michigan – particularly Oakland County – are some of the best on the planet and work tirelessly in the winter, sometimes in around-the-clock shifts, to keep the roads of our fair state suitable for safe winter transport.

The root cause of potholes – the process that can turn an ordinary urban street into one that resembles nothing less than a lunar landscape of tire-splitting, wheel-bending craters – is nothing more than the abrupt change in ambient road temperature (freeze-thaw-freeze) coupled with the warming rays of the sun (which, contrary to popular opinion, is not completely absent from Michigan in the winter months – we just don’t see it very often).

How to build a pothole

Potholes are formed when pavement (either asphalt or concrete) ages and cracks form on the surface, allowing moisture to penetrate through the pavement to the underlying soil.

Here (according to the Michigan Department of Transportation) is how it works:

Pothole driving survival tips from Ford

Fortunately, the good folks at Ford Motor Company have come up with a “pothole survival guide” and we pass it on to you today:

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 31 – Winter driving isn’t just about traveling safely on snow and ice. It’s also about coping with potholes when mid-season thaws cause the road to crumble beneath your tires.

Damaged wheels and tires do not only leave motorists stranded at the side of the road, they can also leave their wallets empty.

It is worth noting that new Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles are subject to some stringent testing that can help prevent damage caused by chuckholes. To validate its vehicle designs, Ford has several proving grounds, including those in Romeo, Mich., and Dearborn, Mich., which are filled with different types of carefully designed torture devices designed to test and improve the durability of the entire vehicle.

Ford engineers design parts up-front to handle these potholes in the road as effectively as possible, balancing them for numerous other customer driving conditions. To give drivers a fighting chance with monster potholes, engineers tune shock rebound rates to keep the wheel and tire suspended so it can glide over the pothole, preventing the tire from dropping down into it and impacting the edge of the tire and wheel.

Ford Motor Company has several tips for drivers to help prevent damage to their vehicles from potholes:

•    Pay special attention to your tire pressure. Keeping tire pressure consistently at the manufacturer’s recommendation will help protect your vehicle’s wheels and tires from being damaged from pothole impacts.

•    If safe, don’t swerve to avoid potholes. Swerving can create a situation where the front wheel and tire on the car can impact the edge of the pothole at an obtuse angle, which might do more damage than hitting it squarely.

•    If safe, don’t brake just because you see a pothole: heavy braking compresses the front suspension of the car and will have a tendency to force the tire and wheel down into the pothole, instead of gliding over

No matter how carefully you drive there’s always the possibility that you may eventually have a flat tire on the highway. Drive slowly to the closest safe area out of traffic. This may further damage the flat tire, but your safety is more important.

If you feel a sudden vibration or ride disturbance while driving, or you suspect your tire or vehicle has been damaged, immediately reduce your speed. Drive with caution until you can safely pull off the road. Stop and inspect the tires for damage. If a tire is under-inflated or damaged, deflate it, remove wheel and replace it with your spare tire and wheel. If you cannot detect a cause, have the vehicle towed to the nearest repair facility or tire dealer to have the vehicle inspected.

Let it snow and all that other stuff that happens below 32 degrees

Here at LotPro.com in Auburn Hills, Michigan, we finally got the first solid dose of the white stuff that falls from the sky in these parts this time of year. And with 2-5 inches of it on the ground and more (surely) to come in the next few days, weeks and months ahead, it’s time to look at what we can do (other than fly to Florida) in order to safely navigate the roads until sometime next March.

Even though many of us have been around for more winters than we’d like to admit, we’re always lulled by the intervening spring-summer-fall weather so each year we need to re-learn the safest way to navigate through the snow and the ice. This year, we have some advice and statistics from Ford Motor Company as well as some safe driving tips.

A Six-Pack Equivalent

Dr. Tom Maze, a professor of civil engineering at Iowa State University, estimates that drivers in a heavy snowfall are just as likely to have an accident as those with a blood-alcohol level of 0.13 – the equivalent of drinking a six pack of beer in an hour and jumping behind the wheel – a rather sobering (pun intended) statistic. Calls for emergency service usually double during a snowfall with AAA Michigan reporting an increase from 2,000 to 4,000 per day during bad winter weather.

Greg Stevens is a senior technical leader for vehicle dynamics at Ford Motor Company and he feels that although in-vehicle technology aimed at handling and accident-avoidance has come a long way, all the silicon diodes in the world can’t take the place of good old common sense.

“Newer cars like the Ford Fusion offer traction control and antilock brakes, which do a great job of helping keep control in bad weather. But, you still have to modify your driving habits. With snow or ice on the road, the limiting factor is tire grip for braking or cornering.”

What, then, is Steven’s advice to motorists? It’s simple, “Slow down, allow more time for braking, and stay alert.”

Driving Tips

According to Ford development engineer Jamie Cullen, who has test driven vehicles in cold weather from Sweden to Manitoba, here are the top 5 tips to remain accident free:

1. Tires: The most important thing you can do is have good tires. If they’re getting close to the wear bars, you should have them replaced. Make sure your tires are at the correct pressure; tires that were at the specified pressure in summer will probably be low with the colder temperatures experienced in winter.

2. Brake earlier: Most people think they have more grip than they actually do, which leads to sliding right through the intersection. If you’re coming to a turn or a stop, start applying brake pressure twice as early as on dry roads.

3. Let ABS work for you: If your vehicle has an antilock braking system (ABS), you may feel a vibration in the brake pedal as the system prevents wheel lock up. Keep firm pressure on the brake pedal until your vehicle comes to a complete stop. Do not pump your brakes if your car has ABS.

4. Unwind the steering wheel: As the front tires begin to slip, most people tend to turn the wheel even more. However, the tires already can’t cope with the current situation, so asking them to do more isn’t the answer. Instead, Cullen recommends turning the wheel back slightly and tap the brakes a little to put more weight on the front end to help the front tires regain traction.

5. Be prepared: On a vehicle development test or on a winter vacation, Cullen always brings warm clothes, heavy boots and a blanket. Cullen also carries a multi-tool, a first-aid kit, and a cell phone, just in case. Ford development engineer Jamie Cullen has conducted winter driving tests around the globe, including at snow fields in Michigan, Manitoba, Sweden, and New Zealand. One of his top five recommendations is to always travel with a winter emergency kit.
AAA also recommends that you carry the following items in your vehicle as part of a winter emergency kit:

•    A cell phone
•    Flashlight
•    Small snow shovel and brush
•    Traction mats
•    Ice scraper
•    Battery booster cables
•    Warm blanket
•    Flares/triangle warning devices
•    Heavy gloves
•    Windshield washer fluid
•    First aid kit
•    Bottled water
•    Energy bars

The Bottom Line

For those of you that currently reside in the warmer climes, we at LotPro.com salute you. Just don’t call us and start bragging about how great the weather is where you live. For the rest of us who are getting ready for the annual “Winter Wonderland”, following the advice from our friends at Ford and AAA will make this a safer (if not a more enjoyable) winter.

Hey Mikey!

Way off the beaten path

This morning, we are going to go hither and yon to make a point. Here at LotPro.com, a bunch of us remember the original Life Cereal commercial that featured a 4 –year-old by the name of “Mikey”, as in “He likes it! Hey, Mikey!” – if for no other reason than it aired for years (twelve) on Saturday morning TV. For some reason, the name of Ford’s new system and the character “Mikey” seemed to resonate with each other. After some research, it turns out that there might be a reason for this. The commercial first aired in 1972. If Mikey really was 4 years old at the time, then this year would mark his 40th birthday – which begs the question: “Would Mikey like MyKey?”

Ford Introduces MyKey

If he is in his forties, then Mikey – or at least members of his generation – could very well have children in their mid-teens. This is when teenagers start driving and parents begin to have gray hair – two things which , I assure you, are not coincidental.

To help alleviate some of the parental concerns (and postpone some of those gray hairs) that come with teenage driving, Ford has come out with enhancements to its current SecuriLock anti-theft technology to address a number of these issues including seat belt usage, speeding and radio volume.

News Flash: 2010 Focus Coupe gains in popularity with parents

The first use of this new technology will be in Ford’s Focus Coupe, as standard equipment, beginning with the 2010 model year and will be rolled out with other Ford, Mercury and Lincoln models shortly thereafter. It will allow owners (read: parents) to program a (ignition) key that can limit the vehicle’s top speed and audio volume.  MyKey will also display earlier low-fuel warnings, encourage safety-belt usage and alert drivers to vehicle speed by  sounding warning chimes at 45, 55 and 65 miles per hour.

How it works

According to the press release from Ford, “The MyKey system allows the parent to program any key through the vehicle message center, which updates the SecuriLock™ passive anti-theft system.  When the MyKey is inserted into the ignition, the system reads the transponder chip in the key and immediately identifies the MyKey code, which enables certain default driving modes, including:

* Persistent Ford Beltminder™ with audio mute.  Ford’s Beltminder system typically provides a six-second reminder chime every minute for five minutes.  With MyKey, the Beltminder chime continues at the regular interval and the audio system is muted until the safety belt is buckled. A message center display “Buckle Up to Unmute Radio” also appears on the instrument cluster.

* Earlier low-fuel warning.  Rather than a warning at 50 miles to empty, MyKey provides a warning at 75 miles to empty.

* If MyKey is in the ignition, features such as Park Aid and BLISTM (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross Traffic Alert cannot be deactivated.

Additional MyKey features that can be programmed through the vehicle’s message center setup menu:

* Limited top speed of 80 mph
* Traction control system, that limits tire spin, cannot be deactivated
* Limited audio volume to 44 percent of total volume
* A speed alert chime at 45, 55 or 65 mph

Marketing Plan Backed by Survey

Before bringing the new technology to market, Ford contracted with Harris Interactive to conduct a survey of parents of teen-age children and a separate survey of teen-age drivers.

Among parents, 75 percent liked the speed-limiting feature, 72 percent were in favor of the more insistent safety-belt reminder, and 63 percent liked the audio limit feature (I’ll let that last one slide). In addition, about 50 percent of those who would consider purchasing MyKey also said they would allow their children to use the family vehicle more often if it were equipped with the new technology.  According to Ford, “The added seat time can help teens build their driving skills in a more controlled setting, complementing graduated licensing laws that give young drivers more driving freedom as they get older. “

What teenagers thought

My first thought was, “Man, am I glad this wasn’t around when I learned to drive.” But after further reflection, I remembered that way back when I took “driver’s ed”, there were no cell phones or iPods, and the only in-car entertainment (if you could call it that) was a single-speaker AM radio, whose volume was limited not only by the power output of the radio, but also by the limitations of the hideously tinny-sounding speaker, itself.

But I digress. According to the survey, 67 percent of teenagers were opposed to MyKey features (no surprise, there). The poll went on to report that if MyKey features led to greater driving privileges (more time at the wheel), only 36 percent of teenagers would object to the technology.

The Bottom Line

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), teens are more likely to take risks such as speeding – a contributing factor in 30 percent of all fatal crashes. Teens also are less likely to wear safety belts than older drivers. As far as we’re concerned, any technology that encourages safety belt use, cuts down on teen driver (or older, let’s face it) distraction and reduces highway fatalities is OK in our book. Mikey, we think, would like it.