Chip to control teen drivers' speed

Starting next year, a move by Ford will allow parents in the US to limit the speed at which their teenage children drive their car.

The company will roll out a new feature on many models that can limit teenage drivers to 80mph, using a computer chip in the key.

Parents in the United States, where most teenagers can get their drivers licence at 16, also have the option of programming the car key to limit the sound system's volume, and to sound continuous alerts if the driver does not wear a seat belt.

More than 5,000 US teenagers die each year in car crashes.

The rate of crashes, fatal and non-fatal, per mile driven for 16-year-old drivers is almost 10 times the rate for drivers ages 30 to 59, according to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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