Volvo: Speed limited to 180km / h on all cars to reduce accidents
The decision was made to limit the number of fatal accidents on the road, and is opposed to the 250 km / h limits already envisaged on some high-performance vehicles.
Volvo has announced that it will begin to limit the maximum speed on all vehicles to 180 km / h with the aim of reducing road fatalities. The new restrictions will be applied on all models of 2021, with the novelty that has been defined as crucial within the ” Vision 2020 ” by the Swedish car manufacturer.
In addition to speed limits, Volvo said it was interested in implementing speed control systems mixed with geolocation technologies, to automatically reduce the speed of vehicles based on location, and if close to – for example: schools and hospitals.
Although the idea of Volvo may seem overly restrictive, it is a much higher limit than the legal limits allowed in the fastest roads in the vast majority of the world’s nations. At the same time, it is a much lower limit than that provided by the agreement of a few years ago between Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW, which limited the maximum speed on many high-performance models up to 250 km / h at order to reduce the number of fatal accidents on German Autobahns.
What is not clear for now is the way in which the ” cap ” at the maximum speed of Volvo vehicles can impact the producer’s sales, especially given the strictness with which the restriction will be applied?
According to the company, the limit cannot be removed, and no exceptions will be granted except in very specific cases, such as for law enforcement vehicles. However, the new limit of 180 km / h will not be applied to the new sub-brand of high-performance electric cars, Polestar.
While it is true that cars are becoming safer, even after major accidents, on the other it is equally clear that the number of fatal accidents has been steadily growing in recent years, especially those involving not only vehicles, but also pedestrians.
Among those responsible for the increase in road deaths, there is also the increase in SUV in circulation: they are larger and have higher bodies, so it is more likely that a pedestrian could suffer fatal damage to the torso, or be trapped in space lower between vehicle and asphalt, rather than being thrown on the bonnet or on the road.
In addition to speed, other danger factors in the coming years will be driving under the influence of alcohol and distractions of various kinds, according to Volvo, which has declared that it will present special plans to solve these problems on March 20, in a special event on security to be held in Sweden.
