Associate
Generally someone who is either bought the car, or shares their parents car, which is the point of this gimmick
true true
Ford to introduce car performance limiting keys for teenagers
- Thread starter Goliath
- Start date
true true
Soldato
Excellent idea, however as well as the top speed limit I would like to see the acceleration limited too. Most accidents are low-speed crashes but often caused by inappropriate acceleration.
Why not have an optional GPS based system for all drivers that restricts the driver from speeding? This would be great for inexperienced drivers especially if it could be linked to cheaper insurance premiums for them. For everyone else, it would be either a good or bad thing depending on your viewpoint, but at least it would be optional. I'm sure most new motorists would go for this idea if it means the cost of motoring is reduced.
I personally would use it some of time if I was driving in an area I was unfamiliar with.
I personally would use it some of time if I was driving in an area I was unfamiliar with.
Last edited:
Associate
They could probably do use provided the car uses drive-by-wire and restrict the pedal "travel" to say 50%
NS
How many times have you seen a younger driver acting like an utter idiot in a car you can only assume belongs to his or her parents ?
Yes it's a gimmick, yes it is no substitute for the person driving executing self control and obeying the speed limit and learning the skills required to drive safely but if it reduces the speed a young driver can drive at and makes even the smallest difference to under 25's killing themselves and more importantly others at minimal cost then why not have the option ? You don't have to use it but it's an option.
As for the people making the valid point that it won't slow you down in a 30 zone you're right, but when the next version arrives in a few years with inbuilt sat nav that restricts you to the legal limit (GTR style) then we'll have even more people complaining it's too big brother.
Look at the other side of the water, if you pass your test in NI you need an R plate and are only able to drive up to 45mph for the first 12 months after passing your test. Now that sucks a lot more than this would as a new driver borrowing your parents car!
Yes it's a gimmick, yes it is no substitute for the person driving executing self control and obeying the speed limit and learning the skills required to drive safely but if it reduces the speed a young driver can drive at and makes even the smallest difference to under 25's killing themselves and more importantly others at minimal cost then why not have the option ? You don't have to use it but it's an option.
As for the people making the valid point that it won't slow you down in a 30 zone you're right, but when the next version arrives in a few years with inbuilt sat nav that restricts you to the legal limit (GTR style) then we'll have even more people complaining it's too big brother.
Look at the other side of the water, if you pass your test in NI you need an R plate and are only able to drive up to 45mph for the first 12 months after passing your test. Now that sucks a lot more than this would as a new driver borrowing your parents car!
Bizarre idea, either someone is responsible enough to drive or they aren't. Because someone can't be trusted you are going to give them a key to try and impose restrictions on them. Well it will stop them speeding but it isn't going to stop them driving like a tool.
A power limit would make more sense than this crap. How about a limit of 80bhp for everyone under 21? Make it similar to the 33bhp limit for bikers under 21.
33bhp on a bike is still good for 90mph and 80bhp in a car is still good for a fair bit too without being dangerously slow.
33bhp on a bike is still good for 90mph and 80bhp in a car is still good for a fair bit too without being dangerously slow.
But the bulk of accidents don't happen at 70+, they happen on smaller windy roads with lots of breaking and acceleration and corning. That's when they loose control... anyone who looses control simply because they are doing 70+ in a straight line is an idiot.
Caporegime
what a much better idea
if the Nissan GTR can tell if its on a race track or not and disable its limiter, and my tomtom can tell me what the limit is, on the road im driving on. I dont see why they couldnt implement something like this. You'd probably have to programme it so that it didnt apply a speed limit if it coudnt get a GPS signal to prevent it locking the car down to 30 on motorways by accident for example, but to be honest the few minutes it didnt have a limit wouldnt be a problem, because the user would be so used to not being able to speed, i doubt he'd notice it wasnt working.
Last edited:
Soldato
- Joined
- 10 Apr 2004
- Posts
- 13,496
So all kids would do then is buy cars without it?
GPS sounds like a better idea, but how they would limit my 1983 carb is beyond me
GPS sounds like a better idea, but how they would limit my 1983 carb is beyond me
They could buy a car without it if they wanted to - you will always have people who don't want the restriction. I'm saying make it optional. If it was linked to cheaper insurance, I think the majority would consider it, especially young drivers with 0 NCB.
Soldato
Agree it's pointless. The suggested GPS idea could be good especially if it could be setup in a way that if young drivers complete a years driving clean they could obtain a decent insurance reduction.
Soldato
Speed doesnt kill, bad driving does. Say for example I was given a Focus ST, thats more powerful than most things i've driven - and I would be careful with it, but give me the same car with a 'restrictor key' then I'm just going to think "ah.. it's been restricted - I can just floor it everywhere and it still won't be going 'full' speed so I won't ever get in any bother / loose traction.
Its a sales gimmick to appeal to paranoid parents, that is all.
Where did I say speed kills ? Infact bad driving doesn't kill people, you can drive perfectly and still suffer mechanical failure/blow out/random acts of randomness. What I did say is you have an option now to limit the top speed based on what key is used, it won't stop stupid driving but it will limit the extent of this driving. I even said the GTR style would be along in a few years to improve things still further and Ford should be given credit for bringing this first step to the market. Also how many people are going to buy a car based on being able to limit the top speed to above legal limits
Paranoid parents would buy something slower/safer and be done with it.As for your example it's the perfect illustration of selective breeding. You see you can't stop an idiot being an idiot, even a dead idiot is still... well an idiot. What you can do is give them a car that's been restricted and if they are stupid enough to drive it in the manner you describe then they will eventually remove themselves from the gene pool
Last edited:
I think the 'idea' is good, the implementation might not be so.
A BHP limit like people have been suggesting is a RIDICULOUS idea. So every teenager should drive around in a tin can? otherwise anything that's a decent size will be severely underpowered. Larger cars need the power, speed isn't directly related to bhp.
The Mykey idea sounds appealing as it allows younger people to buy decent cars which are limited. Hence people who don't drive around like maniacs can own decent cars and not have to have a £50 rust bucket because insurance is such a rip off. It does however rely heavily on trusting that the parents will give their child the correct key. This could obviously be enforced in a way such like if there is an accident caused by the child then the insurance company would check they were driving with the correct key etc.
The 80mph speed limiter sounds a bit stupid, ideally it should lower power or in gear acceleration (not revs). I agree with the stereo being limited also, as a young driver it was hell having your friends keep blasting the music, every 10 seconds i had to turn it down. People have no respect for your things
It won't affect me but hey i wouldn't have minded it, then again i was probably the definition of child killer.
A BHP limit like people have been suggesting is a RIDICULOUS idea. So every teenager should drive around in a tin can? otherwise anything that's a decent size will be severely underpowered. Larger cars need the power, speed isn't directly related to bhp.
The Mykey idea sounds appealing as it allows younger people to buy decent cars which are limited. Hence people who don't drive around like maniacs can own decent cars and not have to have a £50 rust bucket because insurance is such a rip off. It does however rely heavily on trusting that the parents will give their child the correct key. This could obviously be enforced in a way such like if there is an accident caused by the child then the insurance company would check they were driving with the correct key etc.
The 80mph speed limiter sounds a bit stupid, ideally it should lower power or in gear acceleration (not revs). I agree with the stereo being limited also, as a young driver it was hell having your friends keep blasting the music, every 10 seconds i had to turn it down. People have no respect for your things
It won't affect me but hey i wouldn't have minded it, then again i was probably the definition of child killer.
I don't see how it's that bad of an idea. Aimed at parents that are going to want to share the car with their kids. If it's so bad driving such a new car when you are young and have just passed (this will be the main target market) then one could always buy one's own car at one's expense.