Volvo to Impose New Speed Limits on Cars

Look out, drivers with lead feet: Some carmakers want to you to slow your roll.

Volvo recently announced that it will limit new cars to top speeds of 112 miles per hour beginning next year. The Swedish automobile manufacturer says the move is intended to reduce—and eventually eliminate—fatal crashes involving its cars.

“As humans, we all understand the dangers with snakes, spiders and heights. With speeds, not so much,” Volvo safety official Jan Ivarsson said in a company statement announcing the move. “People often drive too fast in a given traffic situation and have poor speed adaption in relation to that traffic situation and their own capabilities as a driver. We need to support better behavior and help people realize and understand that speeding is dangerous.”

Speeding is the cause of more than 25 percent of fatal accidents in the United States each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Volvo isn’t the only automotive company that’s going to force people diving its cars to slow down. The European Union recently announced it will propose requiring carmakers to impose speed limits on their vehicles.

For Volvo, dialing back speeds to 112 MPH means a drop of as much as 43 miles per hour for its fastest car, the S90. It’s part of the company’s Vision 2020 plan, through which Volvo wants to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries involving its new vehicles.

Volvo also says it’s working on technology that would automatically limit speeds in areas like school and hospital zones. To combat distracted and drunk driving, the company will equip cars with cameras and sensors to monitor drivers and intervene if necessary.

Protections for California Car Buyers, Lessors

Volvo should be applauded for its efforts to make driving a safer experience for everyone involved. But even with important new technology like speed limits and sensors, many cars leave the factory with serious defects that can endanger everyone on the road.

California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act protects a wide range of consumers, including car buyers and lessors. Also known as the California lemon law, it protects car buyers and lessors in the Golden State by forcing manufacturers to make certain repairs while vehicles are under warranty. A manufacturer who is unable or otherwise fails to properly fix problems is required to either replace the vehicle or take it back and reimburse the buyer or lessor for the purchase price and related expenses.

The California lemon law also gives the person seeking to enforce the law the right to seek attorney and related legal fees from the car manufacturer.

Contact a California Lemon Law Attorney

The California Lemon Law attorneys at the Bickel Law Firm have represented hundreds of clients in defective vehicle cases across the state. Our firm offers free consultations and does not charge upfront fees in most cases.

Our offices are conveniently located in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with an attorney.