Volvo puts 112 mph speed limit on its cars

Volvo plans to impose a speed limit of about 112 miles per hour on all of its vehicles beginning in 2020.

The Chinese-owned Swedish automotive brand said it was making the move to bring attention to the dangers of speeding.

The plan comes amid concern among auto safety advocates about stubbornly high rates of deadly crashes.

More than 37,000 people were killed in U.S. car crashes in 2017 for the second straight year. That deadly spike came after six straight years of fewer than 33,000 deaths.

Safety experts say one of the quickest ways to reduce fatality rates on the road is to lower speeds.

Speeding was blamed for more than 26 percent of U.S. crash deaths in 2017, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Volvo is a leader in safety: we always have been and we always will be,” Volvo global CEO Håkan Samuelsson said in a statement. "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.”

The company said it was also investigating the possibility of further limiting vehicle speeds in the areas of schools and hospitals.