Kitt's annoying younger brother...
Ford is to introduce a new programmable key that will let parents set a car’s speed and audio limits for when their children drive it. The technology is being rolled out in American models such as the 2010 Focus and in a number of Mercury and Lincoln products and will essentially stop youngsters speeding.
Parents will be able to program the key through the car’s onboard computer and it will also allow the car to reach a certain speed. There are a number of different options that also include a radio mute that is deactivated when the seatbelt is engaged.
The radio itself can be set so that it only reaches half the normal volume and parents can prevent the disabling of safety aids such as traction control. A setting that turns the radio on to Classic FM at full volume if they exceed 55mph is not yet available…