Ford Motor Co.’s MyKey technology, which will debut on several Ford fleet vehicles in mid-2009, will allow fleet managers to limit top speed and radio volume, set speed warnings, encourage safety belt usage and assure important safety systems remain engaged, the company said.
Available at no additional cost, MyKey adds software upgrades on top of Ford’s SecuriLock passive anti-theft system, allowing fleet owners better control factors that could lead to traffic accidents, according to the company.
“We developed MyKey’s functions in such a way to quickly spread it across multiple vehicle lines, giving us the ability to go mass market in the spirit of other Ford innovations such as safety belts, stability control and SYNC,” said Jim Buczkowski, director, Electrical and Electronic Systems Engineering.
According to Ford, when the MyKey is inserted into the ignition, the system will ring a reminder chime when seatbelts are not buckled; provide an earlier low-fuel warning; limit top speed to 80 mph; limit audio volume, and eliminate deactivation of Park Aid, Blind Spot Information System, and traction control system.
