Do Not Disturb System To Become Standard Equipment In 2012 Ford Explorer

Ford Motor Company is taking on various distracted driving issues with the addition of the Do Not Disturb feature to block incoming calls and texts on the MyFord Touch-equipped vehicles.

The company will become the first automaker to allow parents to block their teens from receiving phone calls and deter text messages while driving with the new technology (part of the MyKey program) launching on the Ford Explorer in early 2012. The Do Not Disturb feature, which can be controlled by parents, adds to the system's other innovations such as a "No belts, no tunes" feature that mutes the audio system until front occupants buckle up.

Do Not Disturb allows drivers to decide how many calls and messages they receive, up to none at all, which is believed to alleviate tendencies to check phone calls and text transmissions frequently. "Text messaging has become the default communications method for consumers of all ages," John Schneider, Ford Multimedia and Infotainment Engineering head said in a statement. "The power of SYNC voice control combined with Ford’s latest connectivity improvements will reduce the temptation to pick up the phone and take your eyes off the road, providing a safer solution for the use of mobile devices in the car."

Research shows manually operating electronic devices while driving substantially increases the risk of accidents. The company's SYNC equipment claims to reduce that risk by allowing drivers to operate their devices through voice commands while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.

The Do Not Disturb feature, which is available on all 2011 vehicles featuring SYNC with MyFord Touch, will now be available as a feature parents can control through the system beginning with the new Explorer in early 2012. Drivers can still make voice-activated outgoing phone calls and the SYNC 911 Assist feature can make a call in case of emergency.

The system allows parents to program any key through the vehicle message center. Along with the added Do Not Disturb feature, MyKey features include:

A top speed of 65, 70, 75, or 80 mph
"No belts, no tunes" feature that mutes audio system until front occupants buckle up
The ability to block satellite radio channels carrying adult programming
Volume control that can limit the audio system to forty-four percent of maximum output
Traction control system cannot be deactivated
A speed chime alert at 45, 55, or 65 mph
Early low-fuel warning beginning at seventy-five miles until empty

Twenty-seven percent of American adults and twenty-six percent of teens admit to texting while driving. Further, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), teens are more likely to take risks such as speeding - a contributing factor in thirty percent of all fatal crashes. Teens also are less likely to wear safety belts than older drivers.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has sponsored large-scale, long-duration, naturalistic driving research that helps to better understand driver distraction in the real world. Multiple studies repeatedly find that it is primarily looking away from the road that is highly associated with distraction-related crash and near-crash involvement.

The text message read-back feature remains a part of the vehicle however. It is unclear whether future models will remove the feature in favor of complete MyTouch integration, but keeping the text visible is a concession to current purchaser wishes.

NAFA Fleet Management Association
125 Village Blvd., Suite 200
Princeton, NJ 08540

Telephone: 609.720.0882 Fax: 609.452.8004