“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,” Volvo President and CEO, Håkan Samuelsson, said in a statement.

According to the automaker, the current assortment of accident preventing technologies cannot contribute to fully eliminate deaths or crashes on their own, as driver behaviour behind the wheels plays the biggest role in either causing or preventing a smash. As part of its research into this, and with speed limits often being ignored, it was decided to impose the limiter.

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

In the same statement, Volvo Cars Safety Expert, Jan Ivarsson, said many drivers still don’t take speeding and its aftermath seriously, as well as the issues of driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, and being distracted by amongst other things, smartphones.

“As humans, we all understand the dangers with snakes, spiders and heights. With speed, not so much. 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 behaviour and help people realise and understand that speeding is dangerous,” Ivarsson said.