Renault is committed to lowering the number of accidents in its future vehicles and those of Dacia by putting an electronic cap on their top speed.
As a result, their upcoming models will not be able to drive faster than 180 km/h, or 112 mph, and will feature an automatic speed control system. Named the ‘Safety Coach’, it will adjust the speed limit according to the local legislation, while also factoring in different aspects, such as the road and weather.
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This was communicated in a shareholder meeting last week by Groupe Renault CEO Luca de Meo, reports Spiegel, who said that excessive speeding accounts for a third of fatal car crashes. “A speed limit is not a panacea, but it is worth it if you can save even a human life”, de Meo said. A timeframe for the implementation of the speed limit has yet to be announced.
The German publication states that a speed limit of 130 km/h (81 mph) was introduced in 2002 on a 62-kilometer (39-mile) section of the A24 highway in Germany, which previously had no speed limit. This resulted in the number of accidents being cut in half. Also, from 1996 to 2002, 1,850 motorists were injured in accidents on that section, and after introducing the speed limit, the number dropped to 799 over the same number of years.
In other related news, Volvo has been limiting the top speed of their new cars to 180 km/h (112 mph) since last year. The decision sparked criticism, but the Swedish automaker said that if the action can save lives, they’re fine with “losing potential customers”.
On top of that, there aren’t that many public roads where one can legally drive beyond 112 mph, as most highways have a 130 km/h (81 mph) speed limit in Europe.
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