Human Behavior

Safer Driving

The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that human factors cause or contribute to more than 90 percent of serious crashes.

In the pre-crash stage, drivers can try to avoid crashes by practicing safe driving. In the crash and post-crash phases, drivers can help reduce the risk of injury by always properly using safety equipment such as safety belts. Ford Motor Company provides information, educational programs and advanced technologies to assist in promoting safe driving practices.

For example, numerous studies show that hands-free multimedia devices offer safety benefits compared to hand-held devices. The benefits are seen in driving performance as well as object and event detection. Ford's popular and award-winning SYNC® technology, powered by Microsoft®, provides a way for drivers to use cell phones and MP3 players more safely, because they can do so through voice commands alone while keeping their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel. Ford SYNC was launched in late 2007 and is now available on nearly every vehicle from Ford, Lincoln and Mercury.

Beginning this year on select 2010 models, SYNC will be available with Traffic, Directions and Information, a subscription service that will allow drivers to access traffic reports, turn-by-turn directions and business news and information, all via voice command. Also, SYNC will be launched progressively on Ford's European product range beginning in 2010. (See the case study in this section for more on how SYNC helps to reduce driver distraction.)

In Europe, Ford currently offers the award-winning Ford Convers+ Human Machine Interface System. Available on the Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy, this system allows the driver to control multimedia functions such as cell phones, the navigation system and the radio via a five-way toggle on the steering wheel. A display screen is located on the instrument panel cluster. This combination of steering wheel toggle and cluster operation enables drivers to control multimedia devices with their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. SYNC will complement FordConvers+ when it is introduced into the European line-up starting in 2010.

Ford's MyKey™ system is an innovative new technology designed to help parents encourage their teenagers to drive more safely. MyKey allows owners to program a key that can limit the vehicle's top speed to 80 mph and the audio volume to 44 percent of total volume. MyKey encourages safety-belt usage by enabling Ford's Beltminder™ to chime every minute indefinitely until the safety belt is buckled, rather than ceasing after five minutes, and also by muting the audio system until the belt is buckled. In addition, MyKey provides an earlier low-fuel warning (at 75 miles to empty rather than 50); sounds speed-alert chimes at 45, 55 or 65 miles per hour; and will not allow manual override of other safety systems. MyKey will debut as standard equipment on the 2010 Focus coupe and will quickly become standard on many other Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models.

Driving Skills for Life (DSFL), Ford's driver education program, demonstrates our continued commitment to educating teens about safer driving. In 2008, Ford launched DSFL in the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia, and has had more than 5,400 driver participants in those markets thus far. See the case study on this topic for more detailed information.

In the U.S., the DSFL program earned Ford the 2007 Traffic Safety Achievement Award for Community Service from the World Traffic Safety Symposium at the 2007 New York Auto Show. The U.S. program provides outstanding learning tools, including a DVD, printed materials and a redesigned Web site, to help young drivers improve their ability behind the wheel. In addition, the program includes information about eco-driving, car care tips and information for mature drivers.

Beginning in 2007, Ford partnered with the state of Illinois to launch a statewide effort – modeled on Driving Skills for Life – designed to reduce teen crashes and fatalities. Called Operation Teen Safe Driving, this campaign was the first of its kind and got high school students directly involved by challenging them to develop and implement a teen safe driving community awareness campaign using DSFL resources. This seven-month statewide effort involved 778 schools in 102 Illinois counties, and had the support of the governor, the secretary of state and the Chicago board of education.

The results were remarkable: Teen fatalities in the state fell by more than half in the year following the program's implementation, from 57 fatalities during January 1 – April 15, 2007, to 22 during January 1 – April 15, 2008. Based on this success, the program will now be expanded to include eight additional states and five additional cities.

Drivers aged 65 and over have the highest accident and traffic fatality rates among all age groups except for teenage drivers. Ford has recently redoubled its efforts to promote safer driving among older drivers, via the sponsorship of a pilot program with the nonprofit Traffic Improvement Association (TIA). This program enables older drivers to test their skills and evaluate their ability to safely operate motor vehicles. The TIA presented 38 Ford-sponsored, three-day workshops at hospitals and senior centers around Michigan in 2008, and even more will be offered in 2009. The classroom portion of the workshop, which educates older motorists about the effects of aging on reflexes and cognitive skills, teaches compensation skills for diminished abilities and reinforces fundamental defensive driving techniques. The program includes an on-the-road evaluation conducted by certified instructors in the students' own vehicles.

In another effort to promote safe practices, Ford has created – in partnership with Meharry Medical College – See Me Safe, a child passenger safety seat initiative aimed at reducing child injury, disability and death due to traffic accidents. Launched in 2007, See Me Safe is an educational program designed to reach families and the medical community. The program acknowledges the important role that health care providers play in educating parents about child passenger safety. Toward that end, See Me Safe is working to establish a supportive network of physicians, nurses, medical interns and pediatric trauma response teams, through which parents can learn about the proper use of safety restraints for their children. See Me Safe has distributed 750 car seats and reached 125 health care providers through its Prescription for Safety workshop. In 2009, See Me Safe will partner with organizations in Nashville, Tenn., San Antonio, Tex., and Phoenix, Ariz., on this initiative.