Autoblog

Ford MyKey now allows parents to block Howard Stern, Playboy Radio [w/video]

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:31:00 EST

Ford's upgraded MyKey for 2011 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Modern technology means that parental controls are now spreading to cars as factory equipment, and the automaker leading the charge is Ford. Using the latest version of the company's MyKey system, parents can now block their children from listening to certain radio stations - say, for instance, Howard Stern or Playboy Radio on satellite. In fact, there are a dozen stations listed as explicit by Sirius, and all of them can be blocked using MyKey starting in 2011.

Also seeing an upgrade for 2011 is MyKey's speed-limiting technology. Previously, the top speed of a properly equipped Ford vehicle could be capped at 80 miles per hour (with chimes sounding at 45, 55 and 65). Now, users can preset a desired speed limit at any of four different settings - 65, 70, 75 or 80 mph. While an obvious safety feature, the technology can also dramatically improve fuel efficiency.

Already, Ford's MyKey allows parents to limit audio volume, encourage seatbelt usage by muting the radio until front occupants buckle up and provide earlier low-fuel warnings. All of these could be considered important safety features, considering that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that teens are more likely to speed (a contributing factor in 30 percent of fatal accidents) and are less likely to use their safety-belts.

Ford contracted the firm Penn, Schoen & Berland to conduct a survey regarding its new MyKey features, and the results aren't terribly surprising: 85 percent of parents believe the speed limiting controls are important and 60 percent say the same regarding the radio content controls. Even 45 percent of teen drivers themselves say they approve of the technology... just as long as it means they get extended driving privileges from their parents. Of course, said teens can also simply circumvent the MyKey safety leash by listening to CDs or their MP3 players, but we digress.

Check out a video and full press release after the break to learn more about how the system works.

Gallery: Ford's upgraded MyKey for 2011

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford MyKey now allows parents to block Howard Stern, Playboy Radio [w/video]

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Report: Teen car sales drop as jobs remain scarce

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying

We all remember our first car. There's nothing quite like the memory of seeing your parents hand you the keys to a vehicle you can call your own, and the experience has historically happened somewhere between a child's 16th and 18th year. Right?

Perhaps not. It seems that the time-honored act of buying your first new-to-you car in your teenage years is waning in popularity. And the same is also true of vehicles purchased from well-meaning parents for their children. According to CNW Marketing Research, in calendar year 2005, there were 7.5 million vehicles purchased by or for teens. In 2010, that number is expected to dwindle all the way down to 4.2 million.

Tellingly, this statistic is falling right alongside the flickering teen job market. CNW reports that 27 percent of all American teens have not worked full- or part-time so far this year, which is up dramatically from 2005. Not surprisingly, only 16 percent of teenagers that do happen to have their own set of wheels pay the full monthly payment themselves (that's down from 21 percent).

Transaction prices are also down, which has led to another intriguing bullet point: 57 percent of cars purchased by or for teens are from domestic automakers, due largely to the fact that American cars tend to be less expensive on the used market.

[CNW Marketing Research | Image: Getty]

Report: Teen car sales drop as jobs remain scarce originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AAA study says teen drivers kill others more than they kill themselves

Dan Roth — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:28:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Etc., Safety

Teenage drivers are dangerous, that's no revelation. AAA has analyzed the last decade of crash data by its AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and found that while deadly crashes are down overall, teenage drivers are still at least twice as lethal to other people as they are to themselves.

While measures such as graduated licensing and improved driver training have brought down fatalities, more could still be done. Passengers in cars driven by teens continue to fare the worst, while other drivers, pedestrians and other non-motorists are also victims. The statistics certainly make parents contemplate carting around their progeny indefinitely, as AAA says that 49 states could beef up their graduated licensing programs. Add to the discussion the dismal state of driver training and the level of distraction many drivers (not just teens) inflict upon themselves while piloting 3,000-pound projectiles, and you might also start seriously considering telecommuting. Check out the official press release from AAA after the jump.

[Source: AAA | Photo by djuggler | CC2.0]

Continue reading AAA study says teen drivers kill others more than they kill themselves

AAA study says teen drivers kill others more than they kill themselves originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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