Australians Can’t Handle Ford Focus RS Drift Mode

2016 Ford Focus RS (Credit: Ford)

The Ford Focus RS is too hot for the Aussies. A recent report from News.com.au sheds light on the fact that some safety advocates in the land Down Under think Drift Mode is downright dangerous in the hands of vehicle owners.

Basically, everyday citizens will be tempted to drift around in rush hour traffic, “like a hooligan” while in general engaging in every type of scofflaw activity they can think of. I might be exaggerating a lot here, but it’s to make a point.

After all, people drive far higher-powered, rear-wheel-drive vehicles on Australian roads all the time, and I’m told they do just fine. In fact, Aussies love their utes, which can pump out considerable power to the rear wheels, where there’s hardly any weight. But an American hot hatch is obviously the most troubling safety concern.

Ford is careful to tell owners that Drift and Track Modes are made only for track use. In other words, just like the electronic line lock on the Mustang, don’t use them on roadways. Safety experts say since the average driver doesn’t have access to race tracks in Australia, the Focus RS Drift Mode is dangerous.

The solution is pretty simple: Australians need to build more publicly-accessible tracks to keep everyone safe.