In efforts to ensure that the company’s Vision 2020 which aims for no one to be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020, the Swedish carmaker is toying with the idea to restrict the top speed of all its cars to 180 km/h.
Research by Volvo has shown that speeding is a very prominent cause for serious injuries and fatalities in its cars. While their cars are equipped with some of the latest Advanced Driver Assistance system, when a car is speeding above a certain velocity, the in-car safety technology and smart design are no longer enough to mitigate severe injuries and/or fatalities in the event of an accident.
President and Chief Executive of Volvo Cars said: “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.”
“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,” added Mr Samuelsson.
Besides looking into imposing a restricted top speed, the company is looking into how a combination of smart speed control and geofencing technology can automatically limit the car’s speeds around schools and hospitals in the future.
“People often drive too fast in a given traffic situation and have poor speed adaption in relation to that traffic situation and their own capabilities as a driver. We need to support better behaviour and help people realise and understand that speeding is dangerous,” said Mr Samuelsson.
