Ford MyKey gives parents control over their car

Even when their kid is driving it

7 October 2008 13:08 GMT / By Katie Scott

Aside from insisting on sitting with them every time they opt to take the car out, handing over your car keys to your child is a sentence for months, if not years, of worrying.

But Ford has come up with new technology that might save at least a few grey hairs.

The MyKey system lets parents limit their car's top driving speed to 80 miles per hour, cut off the stereo's volume at 44% of its maximum output, and even set an alarm to go off if the seatbelts aren't done up.

The stereo is even muted until everyone in the car has buckled up.

The system also includes a programmed low-fuel warning when the tank has enough juice in it for another 75 miles.

And MyKey also means that the driver can't disable some of the Focus' usual safety measures like Park Aid and Cross Traffic Alert.

The system will be standard in the 2010 Focus Coupe and Ford is promising to put it in other ranges after that.