Volvo is already fitting new cars with 112mph speed limiters

Volvo has become to first car maker to start fitting all of its new models with speed limiters, This is Money can reveal – two years ahead of the market-wide requirement for the safety systems.

The Swedish auto brand announced in March 2019 that it would be fitting limiters to all new models in 2020 which would mean none of its new cars would be able to be driven at speeds over 112mph.

And it has confirmed this has already started to take place, with vehicles that have come off assembly lines as part of customer orders this year have the technology installed.

New limit: New cars built by Volvo already in 2020 have speed limiter installed, it has said

All new cars built from 2022 will legally be required to have speed limiters – known as Intelligent Speed Assistance systems – fitted.

However, Volvo has taken the decision to introduce the technology ahead of the curve as part of efforts to eliminate all road deaths and serious injuries in its vehicles – part of a project it has dubbed ‘Vision 2020’.

And models already set to be delivered have them installed. 

A spokesman for the brand told This is Money: ‘Everything we do at Volvo starts with safety. 

‘Above certain speeds, in-car technologies and infrastructure are no longer sufficient to prevent serious injury or fatality if an accident occurs. 

‘By tackling the issue of speeding in this way, we are addressing what is still a major cause of traffic fatalities.’

While the car maker confirms new vehicles built already this year have the limiters installed, it hasn’t clarified from what date they were being implemented in its factories.

There is also no information on the brand’s website to inform potential customers that new cars ordered will have speed limiters. 

The Scandinavian brand – now owned by Chinese firm Geely – hopes the move to install speed-limiting technology will help to cement its reputation as a worldwide leader in safety with one of the ‘most ambitious safety visions in automotive history’.

Volvo has confirmed that cars already coming off assembly lines have the limiters, restricting top speeds of all new models to 112mph

Volvo has confirmed that cars already coming off assembly lines have the limiters, restricting top speeds of all new models to 112mph

The Swedish brand is fitting cars with limiters two years earlier than similar speed-restricting technology is being made mandatory for all auto brands

The Swedish brand is fitting cars with limiters two years earlier than similar speed-restricting technology is being made mandatory for all auto brands

It means vehicles already built to order have the limiters fitted to them, however there is no clear indication of this technology being in place in new cars on the Volvo website

It means vehicles already built to order have the limiters fitted to them, however there is no clear indication of this technology being in place in new cars on the Volvo website

It said speeding is one of the most prominent reasons for road accidents, and the introduction of a built-in speed limiters will help curb the number of deaths caused by drivers travelling excessively fast.

It added that a top speed of 112mph was chosen as it balances safety against buyer attitudes, fearing that limiting drivers strictly to national limits would hinder sales volumes.

German outfits including BMW and Audi already have speed limiters of 155mph for their mainstream models only – likely a move to handicap motorists using their cars on the unrestricted Autobahns – but not in their high-performance cars. 

Volvo is the first to have the electronic restrictors across an entire range.

It means a car like the flagship XC90 SUV – priced from just under £55,000 has had its top speed trimmed by around 20mph.

Limiters are being installed across the entire Volvo range - the first brand to do so. It means an XC90 SUV will have its previous top speed trimmed by around 20mph

Limiters are being installed across the entire Volvo range – the first brand to do so. It means an XC90 SUV will have its previous top speed trimmed by around 20mph

Volvo says it is putting limiters into all its cars because above certain speeds, in-car technologies and infrastructure are 'no longer sufficient to prevent serious injury or fatality if an accident occurs'

Volvo says it is putting limiters into all its cars because above certain speeds, in-car technologies and infrastructure are ‘no longer sufficient to prevent serious injury or fatality if an accident occurs’

Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology mandatory from 2022 will allow drivers to override the set limit by pushing harder on the throttle pedal. Volvo's system will not allow for this

Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology mandatory from 2022 will allow drivers to override the set limit by pushing harder on the throttle pedal. Volvo’s system will not allow for this

Speed limiters will be mandatory across the market from 2022 under proposals from the European Transport Safety Council that received approval by MEPs.

These systems – also known as Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology – use GPS data and traffic sign recognition cameras to determine what the speed limit is on the the road the car is travelling on.

Håkan Samuelsson, Volvo chief executive

Håkan Samuelsson, Volvo chief executive

The ISA identifies the speed limit and automatically limits the top speed to match it.

However, drivers will be able to override the system by pushing hard on the throttle – just in case they’re overtaking another motorist who has decided to put their foot down. 

Volvo’s system is different. 

It will electronically limit the top speed to 112mph at all times – which is 42mph faster than motorway restrictions in the UK.

The only time this will not be the case is if the vehicle is being used by the police, when the limiter will be deactivated, a spokesman confirmed to This is Money last year.

Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive at the car maker said: ‘Volvo is a leader in safety: we always have been and we always will be.

‘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.’

Only Volvo cars produced for police forces will have the speed limiters deactivated, the brand confirmed to This is Money last year

Only Volvo cars produced for police forces will have the speed limiters deactivated, the brand confirmed to This is Money last year

If you order a new Volvo today, it will almost certainly have a speed limiter installed

If you order a new Volvo today, it will almost certainly have a speed limiter installed 

As well as limiting top speeds, the company is investigating how a combination of smart speed control and geofencing technology could automatically limit speeds around schools and hospitals in the future.

New cars sold from 2021 will also have a new ‘Care Key’ with additional speed limits.

This is an extra spare key for the vehicle that can have a pre-loaded lower top speed of less than 112mph activated for the car when this specific fob is in use. 

That means owners of Volvos will be able to lend their vehicles to their teenage children who might have only recently passed their test in the knowledge that they can go no faster than a top speed determined by the parent. 

‘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 like speeding, intoxication or distraction,’ Mr Samuelsson added.

‘We don’t have a firm answer to this question, but believe we should take leadership in the discussion and be a pioneer.’

The new 'Care Key' - available from 2021 - will have a pre-loaded lower top speed activated for the car when this specific fob is in use. It means owners can lend their vehicles to their children who have recently passed their test without the fear of them speeding excessively

The new ‘Care Key’ – available from 2021 – will have a pre-loaded lower top speed activated for the car when this specific fob is in use. It means owners can lend their vehicles to their children who have recently passed their test without the fear of them speeding excessively

Volvo is also planning  to install cameras and sensors in its cars to reduce the number of crashes caused by drivers being intoxicated, distracted or falling asleep at the wheel

Volvo is also planning  to install cameras and sensors in its cars to reduce the number of crashes caused by drivers being intoxicated, distracted or falling asleep at the wheel

The cameras and sensors will monitor the driver's behaviour to determine if they are intoxicated or not and then take the relevant steps to prevent a crash

The cameras and sensors will monitor the driver’s behaviour to determine if they are intoxicated or not and then take the relevant steps to prevent a crash

On top of limiters, the other facet of the Vision 2020 project is the introduction of new technology to defeat two other major causes of accidents – intoxication and distraction.

To do so, Volvo also plans to fit new models with in-car cameras and sensors to monitor driving behaviour.

If the technology measures that a user is unfit to be at the wheel or driving erratically it will alert them and prompt the motorist to pull over.

And in the most extreme cases the technology built into Volvo cars will be able to safely bring the vehicle to a halt automatically to prevent the user causing an accident. 

Volvo is also pushing motorists to consider alternative fuel models in its range by first introducing customers in showrooms and online to plug-in variants of its car before petrol and diesel-powered examples. 

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