MyKey technology is to be used in the UK for the first time through the new Ford Fiesta.
The system has been set up to enable parents to place restrictions on younger motorists in a bid to encourage safer driving – and it will be debuted in the nation in December.
Owners can programme a key that limits the top speed the Fiesta is able to travel at, while it also has the capacity to reduce the maximum volume of the audio system.
And if the driver and passengers are not using their seatbelts, the setup can also disable the audio altogether.
Other features of the key include its capacity to prevent the driver from deactivating technologies such as Active City Stop and Electronic Stability Control, which aim to prevent – or limit the damage caused by – low-speed collisions.
According to a survey commissioned by Ford, which saw parents of 17 to 20-year-old car owners questioned about their concerns when their kids take to the road, 46 per cent of mums and dads are most worried about their children speeding.
Those wishing to make sure their sons and daughters remain safe on the road might therefore want to look at the latest Ford Fiesta deals in order to make use of the most up-to-date technologies, such as MyKey.
Peter Patzelt, Ford's European MyKey system architect, noted: "All parents know that if teenagers are experts at one thing, it's finding ways of getting into trouble."
Mr Patzelt added: "MyKey allows Fiesta owners to set sensible restrictions for young drivers and delivers peace of mind for parents."
Parents are big fans of the technology because it reduces teenage driver exposure to risk, he observed.
Ford has developed a new safety and driver assistance package, with MyKey forming just one party of the bundle.
The carmaker has also include SYNC Emergency Assistance and the Intelligent Protection System with seven airbags, which aim to give drivers a greater feeling of security when out and about.
Go to Cars2buy for the best Ford Fiesta deals available.
Posted by Emma Grange