Speeding kills says Volvo so in an unprecedented move, they’re decided to limit the top speed of all their cars to 180 km/h from 2020 onwards.

This concrete step is part of Volvo’s Vision 2020 which aims that no one will be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by the year 2020. Realizing that technology alone won’t get the number to zero, Volvo Cars is now broadening the scope to include driver behavior.

Research by Volvo Cars has identified three remaining concerns for safety that constitute so-called ‘gaps’ in its ambition to completely end serious injuries and fatalities in its cars, with speeding a very prominent one.

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

Volvo reiterates that the problem with speeding is that above certain speeds, in-car safety technology and smart infrastructure design are no longer enough to avoid severe injuries and fatalities in the event of an accident.

This is corroborated by a study done by the U.S.-based National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration which shows that 25 percent of all traffic fatalities in the US in 2017 were caused by speeding.

Beyond speeding, two other problem areas constitute ‘gaps toward zero’. As obvious a problem as speeding (and as difficult to end) is intoxication. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal in large parts of the world, yet it remains a prime reason for injuries and fatalities on today’s roads.

The other area is distraction. Drivers distracted by their mobile phones or otherwise not fully engaged in driving are another major cause of traffic fatalities. In many ways, they are equally dangerous as drunk drivers.

Volvo Cars will present ideas to tackle the problem areas of intoxication and distraction at a special safety event in Gothenburg, Sweden this month.