After enduring a much-publicised recall of 6.5 million Firestone tyres, which are thought to be linked to crashes of Ford Explorer models, Ford is taking no chances in losing market share in promoting its vehicles as both safe and tough.

BBC: Cars on show at New York

The new features will come standard issue on the 2011 Ford Taurus and Ford Explorer, and will eventually reach across both the Ford and Lincoln brands.

ENGADGET: Ford MyKey adds radio censorship to further control teen driving habits

The popular Ford Explorer had a driver death rate of 56 per 1 million registered vehicle years.

FORBES: The Holy War on SUVs