Every parent has mixed emotions when their baby suddenly turns into a driving-age teenager. You immediately go into research mode to find the best vehicle with the highest safety ratings to ensure your most precious cargo is safe every time they head on the road. You can rest assured that you will find the perfect vehicle for your new driver at your Ford dealer. A Ford car, truck, and SUV is built to be sturdy, safe, and last a long time. We’ve done all the research for you, and here’s how Ford has designed its technology and vehicles specifically to encourage safe driving habits.
Ford Co-Pilot360
You probably are already aware of Ford’s suite of safety features known as the Ford Co-Pilot360. It’s offered on a number of their vehicles as standard, with extended safety features available as an option. From the perspective of a new driver, these safety features are incredibly important. New teen drivers today will be driving with high-tech features like these their entire life. To be honest, by the time they are adults, there will be even more advanced technology in their daily driving life. It’s important they learn how to operate a vehicle with these features and how to react when they engage.
Ford Co-Pilot360 is a mixture of audible alerts and automatic braking. Whether there’s an obstacle in your rear, front, or blind spot, your Ford vehicle, with this technology, will alert you and put on the brakes automatically in certain situations. It’s important to remind new drivers that this does not replace safe driving techniques, but it does give parents and new drivers peace of mind that there’s an added layer of defense. Even the safest drivers can find themselves in accidents because of other careless drivers on the road. Features like the evasive steering assist, intelligent cruise control, and pre-collision assist help you maintain good defensive driving.
If your teen driver is driving a Ford pickup, there are specific Ford Co-Pilot360 features designed for the trucks specifically. These include hill descent control, trailer backup assist, trailer sway control, and trailer coverage alerts. We know you probably don’t want your new driver towing a boat for a lake weekend, but just know that Ford has gone the extra mile to place safety features for a number of different situations. Sometimes you need to be able to have a little more control of how your teen drives. Ford has that covered too.
Ford MyKey
The great part about Ford technology is it’s advanced enough to personalize to different drivers. Using Ford MyKey is especially useful if you have multiple drivers using the same Ford vehicle. You don’t want to completely take away features that more advanced drivers can use with ease, but you’re not ready to give your teen complete freedom with a powerful vehicle. When you adjust different settings and driving modes on the Ford MyKey, you can encourage safer driving with your new driver.
It all starts with the vehicle’s key. You can program specific driving modes and settings for certain reminders, alerts, and controls. Before your teen leaves the driveway, they need to be buckled up. Ford MyKey has a driving mode that can give constant reminders and mute the audio system until the driver buckles their seat belt. Speaking of audio systems, you can set volume limits and block certain content if SiriusXM radio is being used. Maximum speed limits can be put into place, and a low fuel level warning can alert the driver earlier than usual. The point is not to limit the new driver from enjoying the wonderful features of a Ford vehicle; it’s just designed as reminders to keep the big picture of safety in mind.
We all know teens are smart and can honestly operate technology better than we can. While it is possible to deactivate certain Ford Co-Pilot360 features, you can add a driving mode through Ford MyKey that would prohibit the deactivation of driving aids like the blind spot alert and cross-traffic alert. Setting boundaries with a brand new driver is healthy for everyone, and Ford wants to do their part to put more safe and experienced drivers on the road. If we all can have good habits while driving, it will make a lasting impact.
Best Ford Vehicles for New Drivers
All of this technology is available on many of Ford’s lineup of vehicles. Certain Ford vehicles may be better equipped to aid a new driver in their learning and practice. We all know we drive more at ease when we’re comfortable in the vehicle we’re operating. As much as your teenager might try to convince you, a Ford Mustang is likely not the best first car for them. There is a variety of Ford vehicles that work well with size, style, and safety and would make a great first car for your new driver.
Ford Escape
Ford’s small SUV, the Escape, is perfect for someone who might want a vehicle slightly larger than a car but does not need a full-size SUV. The Escape seats five passengers comfortably and has an excellent fuel economy. Ford Co-Pilot360 is available in new models of the Escape, plus additional safety technology is available as well. Its size gives drivers a great view of their surroundings, but it’s also easy to navigate and operate city roads.
Ford Edge
A slightly larger Ford SUV is the Ford Edge. This midsize SUV seats five passengers and offers more cargo room and a bigger interior. In 2020, the Ford Edge received an IIHS Top Safety Pick Award when equipped with adaptive LED headlamps. The full suite of Ford Co-Pilot360 technology safety features is available on the Edge, making it a very safe and viable option. Some people prefer the feel of a midsize SUV and the Edge certainly provides all of the SUV benefits without driving too large.
Ford Fusion
Maybe SUVs are not your style, and that’s okay because the Ford Fusion is still a great safe, quality car for new drivers. Besides being an economical car, it’s equipped with the same Co-Pilot360 features as Ford’s SUVs. It’s excellent gas mileage, and manageable size makes it a great contender for a first car. When you’re learning to park and reverse, having a car that doesn’t take up too much room can be the key to learning faster. Using the park assist, the rearview camera, and the reverse brake assist will help you gauge your surroundings even more.
New Drivers Need a Ford
It can be daunting handing the keys to your teenage driver. You want to trust their ability and also the vehicle they are operating. Ford vehicles are built tough, reliable, and with some of the best safety features in the industry. One of the reasons Ford vehicles make excellent cars for new drivers is the amount of safety features available without paying a substantial amount of money. Getting you and your teen driver familiar with the Ford Co-Pilot360 and Ford MyKey technology can make a big difference in smoother operation on the offense and defense. Vehicles like the Ford Escape, Ford Edge, and Ford Fusion make for excellent vehicles for new drivers because of their manageable size, safety features, and quality engineering. You will always feel nervous sending your new driver out on the road, but sending them in a Ford-built vehicle will put your mind at ease.
