from being switched
off. Additionally, an in-
vehicle report card can provide
parents with useful information
for coaching their new driver.
Here’s what the system will do:- Mute the audio system when
driver or front passenger safety belts
are unfastened - Limit audio volume
- Speed warning, programmable
between 40 and 75 mph - Provide a report card with
accumulated data for each trip.
Additionally, the following safety
features (if vehicle is equipped) will
default to “on” and cannot be turned off:
stability control, traction control, daytime
running lamps/automatic light control,
forward automatic braking, forward
collision alert, front pedestrian braking,
lane keep assist with lane departure
warning, reverse automatic braking, rear
cross traffic alert, side blind zone alert,
and front and rear park assist.
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30 maskmatters.org FALL - V9 -{DID YOU KNOW?} In 1998, airbags officially became mandatory in all vehicles.
A
s a parent, handing over
the keys to your teen driver,
watching them back out of
the driveway and head out on
their own for the first time is
more than scary. And with good reason.
Statistics show that teen drivers have
the highest crash risk of any age group.
According to the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration and the
Centers for Disease Control:- 3,255 teen drivers age 15 to 19
were involved in fatal crashes in 2017. - Vehicle crashes are the leading
cause of death for teens ages 16 to 19. - New teen drivers ages 16 to 17
are three times more likely than adults
to be involved in a deadly crash.
Teen drivers have a higher rate of
fatal crashes, mainly because of their
immaturity, and lack of skills and
experience. They speed, they make
mistakes, and they get distracted easily,
especially if their friends are in the car.
To help your teen stay safe behind
the wheel, all 50 states and the District of
Columbia have a three-stage graduated
driver licensing (GDL) system that
limits high-risk driving situations for
new drivers. There are also a number of
effective ways to promote and enhance
your teen’s driving safety via vehicle
devices that can coach, track and/or limit
what your teen can do behind the wheel.
TEEN DRIVER TECHNOLOGY
Car manufacturer General Motors has
developed Teen Driver, a safety feature
that allows parents to view their teen’s
driving habits. Available as standard
equipment on many newer GM vehicles,
the program can limit certain vehicle
features and prevent certain safety systemsKEY TO SAFETY
Similar to GM’s Teen Driver, Ford
MyKey is available at no cost on most
Ford vehicles. The system reads the
vehicle’s key fob transponder chip and
activates the settings you’ve selected.
MyKey features include:- Belt-Minder provides a six-
second reminder chime every 30
seconds and mutes the audio system
until the vehicle’s front occupants fasten
their safety belts. - Top speed settings allows you
to limit a vehicle’s top speed at four
different settings—65, 70, 75 or 80
mph—with chimes sounding at 45, 55
and 65 mph. - Screened radio content allows
you to block all stations labeled “explicit”
by Sirius Satellite Radio. - Driving aids such as blind spot
monitoring with cross-traffic alert can’t
be deactivated. - Limit audio volume to 44
percent of total volume.
DRIVER’S
AID
By // Jim Prueter