Volvo has announced that all its new cars now come with a top speed limited to 112mph.
It’s a pledge the Swedish manufacturer had previously made in a bid to improve road safety and reach its target of having no serious injuries or fatalities from any of its models.
While the speed limit still drastically exceeds the maximum 70mph limit in the UK, Volvo has also announced a new ‘Care Key’ system that can set additional limits on a car’s speed.
Similar to Ford’s ‘My Key’ system, it means the car can have its speed limit adjusted if someone else is going to driving the vehicle – a friend or family member, for example. It’s especially designed for younger and less experienced motorists.
Volvo acknowledges that the speed limit is a controversial decision – most prominently for Germany where some of its motorways (autobahns) have no speed limit. The firm, however, says it has an “obligation” to improve safety, and that by limiting speed – one of the greatest causes of fatalities on the road – it’s the right decision “even if this means losing potential customers”.
Malin Ekholm, head of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre, said: “We believe that a car maker has a responsibility to help improve traffic safety. Our speed limiting technology, and the dialogue that it initiated, fits that thinking. The speed cap and Care Key help people reflect and realise that speeding is dangerous, while also providing extra peace of mind and supporting better driver behaviour.”
The firm says its next areas to address are intoxication and distraction on its pledge to have no deaths in any of its cars.
