Volvo limits vehicle top speeds
Every new Volvo car now comes with a limited top speed of 180 km/h (112 mph), as Volvo delivers on its promise made last year to introduce such a limitation and goes beyond regulation and legislation to help close the remaining gap to zero serious injuries and fatalities in traffic.
Apart from the speed cap, every Volvo car will now also come with a Care Key, which allows Volvo drivers to set additional limitations on the car’s top speed, for example before lending their car to other family members or to younger and inexperienced drivers.
Together, the speed limitation and Care Key send a strong signal about the dangers of speeding, underlining Volvo Cars position as a worldwide leader in safety.
Both features illustrate how car makers can take active responsibility for striving to achieve zero traffic fatalities by supporting better driver behaviour.
The top speed limit has proven to be controversial since it was announced, with some observers questioning the rights of car makers to impose such limitations through available technology.
The problem with speeding is that above certain speeds, in-car safety technology and smart infrastructure design are no longer enough to avoid severe injuries and fatalities in the event of an accident.
This is why speed limits are in place in most western countries, yet speeding remains ubiquitous and one of the most common reasons for fatalities in traffic.
Millions of people still get speeding tickets every year.
Research shows that on average, people have poor understanding of the dangers around speeding. As a result, many people often drive too fast and have poor speed adaption in relation to the traffic situation.
Apart from speeding, intoxication and distraction are two other primary areas of concern for traffic safety and that constitute the remaining gap towards Volvo’s vision of a future with zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries. It is taking action to address all three elements of human behaviour in its safety work, with more features to be introduced in future cars.