Putting the Leash on New Teen Drivers!

Ah remember back when you first got your license? All those top speed runs in the middle of the night, cruising the Blvd. with your 8-track maxed out, and letting your friends ride with no seat belts. Well now that your a parent you can rest a bit easier! The Ford MyKey is the perfect chaperone.

New for 2010, many authorized Ford Dealers like Palm Springs Ford will offer a feature available on any new car called the Ford MyKey. This ingenious idea allows for a microchip to be implanted in the extra key you give your teenager. When this key is inserted into the ignition, the car recognizes that the driver is new and puts certain predefined limits on the car. These restrictions come in the form of a speed limiter, a stereo volume control, and an annoying seat belt chime...that doesn't stop until the driver fastens their belt.

And the best part is the parent has the ability to set the limits. So now all you have to do is buy a new Ford car!

Here are some additional tips on how to buckle up properly:

• The safest seat for children 12 and under is the back seat.
• A third of the deaths of children 12 and under in vehicle accidents could be avoided if children were placed in the back seat and buckled up.
• Pregnant women should place the lap belt as low as possible under the abdomen and the shoulder harness to the left of the tummy bulge and between the breasts. The safety belt will not harm an unborn baby; however, an unborn baby may be harmed if the mother becomes injured in a collision because she failed to wear a safety belt.
• If the area doesn’t have seatbelts because it isn’t meant to be ridden in – don’t ride there! It is illegal to transport passengers in the back of a flatbed truck, unless that flatbed is equipped with passenger restraint systems (The only exceptions are emergency situations and parades). It’s also illegal to transport animals back there (except for livestock and dogs used for ranching and farming), unless the truck is specially equipped to carry animals – it must be enclosed, or have side and tail racks of at least 46 inches in height extending vertically from the floor. Otherwise, the vehicle has to have means installed to keep the animal from falling (or jumping!) from the vehicle, such as a secured cage or tethers.
• Effective January 1, 2007, CVC 21712 states it is a misdemeanor violation for any driver to knowingly permit a person to ride in the trunk of a vehicle. Additionally, any passenger found guilty of riding in the trunk is guilty of an infraction.
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