Ford introduces key to restrict teen drivers behind the wheel

It’s an idea that parents will love and teenagers will hate.

Ford is about to introduce a special key that restricts teen drivers.

You know the standard parent lines when you’re teenager walks out the door with the car keys.

Don’t drive too fast, and don’t blast the radio.

Now there’s a way to back up your words. 

Rachel Smith gets behind the wheel of her Mercury Mariner.

But this is a car that knows its limits.

That’s because its equipped with Ford’s new My Key system.

A computer chip inside certain keys restricts the car’s speed to no more than 80 miles per hour and a radio that plays at less than half of the total volume.

“You program the key to certain limits and the only way it can be deactivated is with the other key which the parent would hold onto,” said Rachael Smith of Ford.

“I can understand where the parents are coming from but in a sense you can’t control every aspect of your kids life.” said one young driver.

“I can see their reasoning but I probably would be upset about it,” said another young person.

Besides speed and volume, the chip can control the spinning of tires, sound speed warning chimes and link the seat belts to the radio.

“No buckle no music,” said Smith.
So today that key sets limits on speed, volume and seat belt use but could there be more restrictions in the future?

Open to the future, exactly.

“And depending on what the consumers are looking for and the way the market is going, they we’ll be there,” said Smith.

The My Key feature will first arrive in the 2010 Ford Focus and then in other Ford and Mercury cars.

There won’t be any additional charge for the new keys.

Just the anguish of new teenage drivers.