Dear Volvo Retailers,
The company’s Vision 2020, which aims for no one to be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020, is one of the most ambitious safety visions in the automotive industry. Protecting and caring for people is at the heart of Volvo Cars’ philosophy and this is our commitment to saving lives.
Realizing that technology alone will not get it all the way to zero, Volvo is now broadening its scope to include a focus on driver behavior. Volvo has today published a press release (scroll to bottom to Download) that discusses the three gaps toward achieving the company’s vision that no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo. Those gaps, which influence human behavior behind the wheel and ultimately their safety, are speed, intoxication and distraction.
In the first phase of closing these gaps toward the company’s safety vision, Volvo Cars is changing the electronically governed speed on U.S. cars from 130 mph to 112 mph in model year 2021. This will affect cars starting with MY21 and beyond while it will not be retroactive to earlier cars via software updates. Similar to the current speed governance on cars, the consumer will not be able to disable it.
What this means to customers?
This action reinforces that Volvo Cars has always been the safety leader and will continue to lead in the future.
This effort is designed to start a conversation about who should lead the safety initiatives around speed. Should it be government regulators? Individuals? OEMs? As a proactive leader in safety, Volvo Cars believes it should not wait for government regulators to set new speed restrictions on cars.
In 2017, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) attributed 25 percent of all traffic fatalities to speeding. NHTSA has committed to instituting enforcement measures and technology to deter speeding and target crash-producing speeders.
When will this take effect?
The 112 mph speed limiter will be installed on all MY21 Volvo cars.
How will this affect my business?
This action provides another talking point for retailers to solidify Volvo’s safety position in the marketplace, a key driver of sales and brand loyalty for people attracted to the brand.
What should I, as a retailer, do to support this?
Retail personnel should be prepared to discuss this topic with customers if asked. The below points should aid in a conversation:
Despite Volvo Cars featuring world-leading safety technologies, excessive speed reduces the efficiency of on-board safety technologies.
The profile of the average Volvo driver supports the belief that drivers will rarely, if ever, drive a speed above 100 mph. However, this action is designed as a message to the entire driving community that Volvo is at the forefront of safety and will continue to lead.
Volvo Cars is proactive with safety and does not believe safety actions should rely on governmental actions or regulations.
This action sparks conversations with customers and their communities about the risks of speed. It is also another step in Volvo’s proactive approach to safety, which has been a bedrock of the company’s brand since 1927.
Regards,
Anders