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From the Boulder Daily Camera:
Teen freedom limited on new Ford Focus
MyKey technology allows parents to control top speeds, radio volume
By Jabril Faraj, Camera Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
BROOMFIELD, Colo. ? With one turn of a computer chip-enabled key, parents will soon be able to control the top speeds and radio volume on their teen's 2010 Ford Focus.
A new technology, called MyKey, is being marketed to parents as an extra safety measure to protect their children. The Focus -- available this summer -- is on a nationwide promotional tour and made a stop in Broomfield on Wednesday.
The MyKey features -- activated by a key parents can give their teen drivers -- will come standard with the 2010 Ford Focus. The features include the option to set a maximum speed of 80 mph, warning chimes at 45, 55 and 65 mph and a radio that won't sound higher than 44 percent of the total volume. The radio system also stays muted until the driver and front-seat passenger's seatbelts are on.
Beau Smith, general manager of Sill-TerHar Motors in Broomfield, said there's really no downside and, at the same time, amazing advantages to the MyKey features.
"Any time you can add technology to a vehicle -- it doesn't matter what kind of vehicle -- to make it safer, then, I think you're moving in the right direction," he said.
The reaction from parents has been particularly positive. Juli Greeno, who has a 20-year-old daughter and 24-year-old son, said that the new MyKey features would have given her much better peace-of-mind when her children were younger.
"I think it's awesome," she said.
Greeno added that it would have been nice to have those features "when my kids were first driving ... the way kids are (distracted) today with cell phones, iPods and everything else."
Young drivers aren't so excited about potentially losing part of their freedom.
Alexandra Graber, 20, said that she used to drive too fast, listen to the radio loud and not wear her seatbelt. But, though she knows it wasn't safe, she said she would not have been pleased with the MyKey restrictions.
"I think that's maybe a good idea but slightly ridiculous," she said.
But Graber also agreed that, being able to look back, it would have been good for her.
"I think it is a good idea for parents," she said. "I was definitely reckless with the car when I was little."
Paul Witt, who is driving the Focus through Colorado as part of Ford's nationwide promotional tour, said that teens he's talked to are skeptical about the new technology.
Even though these new features can improve road safety, he said, MyKey is not the ultimate solution."Bottom line is it's still up to the driver to make that safe decision," Witt said. "You can put anything you want on the car but it's the person behind the wheel who's got to make it safer and if we can just help increase that experience and increase awareness that's what we're trying to do."