Volvo Cars has announced it will limit the top speed on all its vehicles to 180 km/h from 2020 in a bid to send a “strong signal about the dangers of speeding”.
The Swedish automaker, which earlier revealed its aim for no person to be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020, said it realised that “technology alone” would not “get it all the way to zero”.
Broadening its scope to include a focus on “driver behaviour”, Volvo said its research had identified three “remaining concerns for safety that constitute so-called ‘gaps’ in its ambition to completely end serious injuries and fatalities in its cars, with speeding a very prominent one”.
“Volvo is a leader in safety: we always have been and we always will be,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars.
“Because of our research, we know where the problem areas are when it comes to ending serious injuries and fatalities in our cars. And while a speed limitation is not a cure-all, it’s worth doing if we can even save one life.”
Apart from limiting top speeds, the company said it was also investigating how a combination of smart speed control and geofencing technology could automatically limit speeds around schools and hospitals.
“We want to start a conversation about whether car makers have the right or maybe even an obligation to install technology in cars that changes their driver’s behaviour, to tackle things such as speeding, intoxication or distraction,” said Samuelsson.
“We don’t have a firm answer to this question, but believe we should take leadership in the discussion and be a pioneer.”
Beyond speeding, Volvo also listed intoxication and driver distraction as major concerns.
