Volvo to limit top speed on all its cars to 180kmph

- According to Volvo, speeding is one of the most common reasons for fatalities in traffic

- Apart from limiting top speeds, Volvo is also working on limiting speeds around schools and hospitals in future

- Top speed on all its cars will be limited to 180kph from 2020

Volvo it seems is sending a strong signal about the dangers of speeding and will limit the top speed on all its cars to 180kph from 2020. The company’s Vision 2020, which aims for no one to be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020, is one of the most ambitious safety visions in the automotive industry. 

However, realising that technology alone will not get it all the way to zero, Volvo is now broadening its scope to include a focus on driver behaviour. Apart from limiting top speeds, the company is also investigating how a combination of smart speed control and geofencing technology could automatically limit speeds around schools and hospitals in future.

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. That 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, and traffic accident data from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration shows that 25 per cent of all traffic fatalities in the US in 2017 were caused by speeding.