At Red Rock Ford in Dickinson, our team frequently talks to parents searching for a safe vehicle for their first-time driver. Like many rites of passage parents face, allowing your child to drive and own a car is a bittersweet experience.
Our team is proud to walk parents and first-time drivers through Ford MyKey, a programmable key that encourages drivers to make good decisions behind the wheel and provides peace of mind to parents back home.
The Why
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), motor vehicle crashes are the second leading cause of death for US teens. First-time driving males are at particular risk, with the death rate for male drivers aged 16-19 two times higher than for female drivers of the same age.
The CDC states that some risk factors specific to teens are:
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Inexperience
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Nighttime and Weekend Driving
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Not Using Seatbelts
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Distracted Driving
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Speeding
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Alcohol Use
At Ford, we explored what we could do to try and make a difference in the lives of our drivers. With driver-assist features like Ford Co-Pilot360 Technologies and Ford MyKey, we believe that together with parents, we have a real chance to save lives.
Programmable Settings
Ford MyKey is exactly what it sounds like. This programmable key fob allows parents to control their vehicle’s safety settings, even when you can’t be behind the wheel.
With an admin key, parents can configure safety settings like:
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Vehicle Speed Limit. Decide on a maximum safe speed for your vehicle. When drivers reach that speed, they will both hear and see a warning that lets them know they must slow down. The driver cannot override this speed limit by using cruise control or by pressing the accelerator pedal.
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Speed Minder. If a MyKey driver exceeds the preselected safety limit, their speed will be shown in the display, followed by an audible tone.
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Pro Tip Regarding Speed. Think through the maximum speed limit you set for your driver. You want your driver to maintain a safe speed in relation to posted speed limits and road conditions. So, be sure you’re allowing enough speed for safe passing, speed limits, road conditions, and prevailing conditions.
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Volume Control. Set the audio system to a maximum volume of 45%. Should your driver try to exceed the preselected volume control, a message will slow in the display.
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Always-On for Systems. If you enable the “Always On” for Advance Trac (traction control), 911 Assist or Emergency Assist, or the Do Not Disturb features, your MyKey driver will be unable to switch them off.
Non-Programmable Settings
Once you enable a Ford MyKey, you cannot adjust the following non-programmable settings:
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Safety Belts. The safety belt reminder is always on, and the audio system will mute and remain muted when the front seat passengers’ safety belts are not fastened.
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Low Fuel Indicator. With MyKey, drivers are alerted 55 miles in advance of an empty fuel tank rather than the standard 22-25 miles. This gives inexperienced drivers the opportunity to make a good decision on a well-lit and safe refueling center.
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Driver Assist Features. If your vehicle is equipped with driver-assist features like Blind Spot Monitoring with Cross-Traffic Alert, the system will force on these features.
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Radio Censorship. If your vehicle is equipped with a satellite radio, restrictions on adult content will be turned on automatically.
Common Sense
After some time, you may want to change or reconfigure some of the MyKey settings. That is possible by following these steps:
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Switch the ignition on using an admin key or fob
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Access the main menu on the informational display controls and select Settings, then MyKey by pressing OK or the > button
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Use the arrow buttons to get to the feature in question
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Press OK or > to make a selection
MyKey settings can also be cleared and reprogrammed.
Peace of Mind
Ford looks for ways to keep our drivers safe - no matter their age. The Ford MyKey is an essential tool for new drivers or for reinforcing good driving habits in general. In addition to our Ford Co-Pilot360 Technologies, this feature revolutionizes the way we think about driver safety in the 21st century.
Peace of mind has no price tag.
About Us
At Red Rock Ford of Dickinson, we hope our first-time drivers and their parents enjoy the experience of picking out a new vehicle. Ford wants first-time drivers to have all the safety tools and technologies they need to make the best decisions out on the road.
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