And it’s the first of many, it seems.
Swedish carmaker Volvo has long been synonymous with safety, and they’ve announced a new measure that may seem relatively inconsequential today, but could be the beginning of a slippery slope. As part of their Vision 2020 plan to reduce Volvo in-car fatalities to zero, they will now limit the speed of their cars from the year 2020 onwards to just 180km/h. This, Volvo says, will allow them to maintain their status at the forefront of safety.
“Volvo is a leader in safety: We always have been, and always will be. Because of our research, we know where the problem areas are when it comes to ending serious injuries & 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.” – Håkan Samuelsson, President & CEO, Volvo Cars
The new speed limit will likely make very little different to the majority of us, as we never venture further than the speed limit on public roads. However it could make serious changes in the near future, as Volvo is now looking into the idea of imposing ‘adaptive’ limits that will force drivers to comply with regulations, or best practices even.
“We want to start a conversation about whether car makers have the right, or maybe even a obligation, to install technology in cars that changes their driver’s behaviour, to tackle things like speeding, intoxication, or distraction. We don’t have a firm answer to this question, but believe we should take leadership in the discussion and be a pioneer.” – Håkan Samuelsson, President & CEO, Volvo Cars
With speeding (somewhat) addressed, intoxication & distraction are the next targets for them to hit. To that end, Volvo will be organising a special event on safety on March 20th to talk about how they want to tackle intoxication & distraction behind the wheel.
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