Ford has come under fire when Australian road safety experts said that the “drift” mode found in the Focus RS enables unskilled drivers to “drive like a hooligan” using the car’s sophisticated electronics systems, thus contravening their “Anti-Hooning Law”. No, really, that’s what it’s called down under.
The latest high-performance hatchback from Ford arrives in the Australia last week and it comes with a distinctive feature called the ‘drift’ mode where drivers can perform a perfect drift (a sideways four-wheel skid) providing they floor the throttle and turn the steering wheel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQMtiXx4plE
Safety experts are furious claiming that the act of drifting performed by unskilled driver is dangerous especially when being used on public roads. Drifting is so dangerous that police in most states in Australia have the power to confiscate the car and instantly ban the driver for six to 12 months, depending on the jurisdiction.
Ford released a statement saying, “Drift mode is targeted for track use only — a disclaimer appears on (the instrument) cluster when switching modes. We believe the drift and track modes are appropriate for racetracks, and that typical Focus RS customers will understand the need to deploy these features under controlled and safe conditions such as during a track day.”
Mr Scruby, the head of the Pedestrian Council of Australia said, “A disclaimer is not going to stop an idiot from trying this on public roads.
He urged Ford to reconsider its decision, by recalling these vehicles and disable the ‘drift’ mode as a disclaimer in the dashboard will not stop drivers from using it.
Former president of the Australian Medical Association, Professor Brian Owler, said, “They’re obviously marketing the car to young people who are interested in that type of driving. The problem is most people don’t have access to a race track. Without a race track it’s inherently dangerous.”
Police hit out at a major car company for encouraging hoons. https://t.co/CwcIZeLKNJ
— 7NEWS Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) July 14, 2016
Source: News.com.au
