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Volvo To Impose 112mph Speed Limit On All New Cars From 2020 (theguardian.com)

Volvo will limit the top speed to 112mph on all its new cars from 2020 in an attempt to reduce the number of accidents. "The cap will prevent drivers from accelerating to the top speeds of up to 155mph many Volvos can reach," reports The Guardian. From the report: Volvo is believed to be the first carmaker to install the cap across its entire range. Police vehicles will be exempt. Similar technology has been installed on several high-performance cars in Germany, but at a much higher speed limit. The general speed limit for motorways in EU member states is 75-80mph (120-130km/h). Germany does not have a general cap for motorways but recommends a speed of up to 80mph. Speeding remained one of the main contributors to road deaths, Volvo said, along with drug and drink intoxication and mobile phone use. Volvo is also exploring how geofencing -- a virtual geographic boundary defined by GPS technology -- can be used to automatically limit speeds around schools and hospitals. Hakan Samuelsson, Volvo's president and chief executive, said: "While a speed limitation is not a cure-all, it's worth doing if we can even save one life. We want to start a conversation about whether carmakers have the right or maybe even an obligation to install technology in cars that changes their driver's behavior."

534 comments

  1. 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Volvo is also exploring how geofencing -- a virtual geographic boundary defined by GPS technology -- can be used to automatically limit speeds around schools and hospitals." - This part, this is a very very very bad idea.

    1. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by vlad30 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Actually I'd like a mode where it essentially limited to the speed limit unless I chose to exceed it for lets say overtaking. I have this almost in my current car instead of cruise control a speed limit is set. It only needs to follow the GPS defined speed limits to be more useful.

      --
      Your'e all thinking it, I just said it for you
    2. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by ArchieBunker · · Score: 1

      That would be hilarious. The GPS protocol is completely open. Buy a HackRF and broadcast the coordinates of a school zone on the freeway.

      --
      Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
    3. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      I want a mode where the car only goes the speed limit when law enforcement or a speed camera is nearby.

    4. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It would be nice if cars could automatically read the speed limit on a road and give some indication whether you're at risk of a speeding fine though. I'm thinking haptic feedback could work: as in you need to press noticeably harder on the accelerator to make the car go over the limit. You *can* speed if you need to - say for example you're escaping a natural disaster or whatever - but you're unlikely to do so by accident.

    5. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Truth_Quark · · Score: 1

      There needs to be a whole information system for informing the cars when the posted speed limit changes.

    6. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Type44Q · · Score: 1

      It's a great idea. Perhaps "Geery" (what; did you think Volvo was still Scandinavian??) can call it the "Non-Ludicrous Edition" and offer a fat fucking rebate to compensate the customer for the Tercel-like "performance."

    7. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      GPS does not work that way, just like windmills.

    8. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by rmdingler · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "Damn car manufacturers telling me what to Do... For who exactly, is 112 mph not fast enough?

      In fact, unless you're the Madison Avenue stalwart professional driver on a closed course, why should you be able to drive that recklessly on the public highways and put the rest of us at risk of getting caught up in a vehicular altercation with you?

      Mah rights!

      --
      Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

      Ernest Hemingway

    9. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by SigNuZX728 · · Score: 2

      What if you're a German rushing your poor sickly mother down the autobahn to the hospital for some emergency and you couldn't get her there in time and she died because some Swedish stuffed shirt decided that YOUR damn Volvo shouldn't go over 112mph?

    10. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I want my car's speed to be governed just like I had it on the NES Rad Racer... 0 or 255mph with no acceleration time.

    11. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by nevermindme · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Volvo GPS units already have speed zone change notifications on the dashboard. I rented the 2017 SUV turboD in Germany and it did perform well to 200kmph. The smaller Volvos I have driven here are not worth the US volvo premium. Volvo might just be in cost cutting mode and limiting to a class of tire that is cheaper than a 140mph rated one.

    12. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by olsmeister · · Score: 1

      You'd get her there in plenty of time and in style in your Porsche.

    13. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by rmdingler · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The threat to your poor sickly mother has to at least be weighed against the threat to other drivers, including someone else's perfectly healthy mother headed down the autobahn to market.

      That, and if your auto hits a fat rabbit at 112 mph, you and mother are going to arrive at the hospital in another vehicle... one with lights and a siren.

      --
      Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

      Ernest Hemingway

    14. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Xenx · · Score: 2

      In this hypothetical case you chose to purchase a car that was speed capped at 112mph. Why would you expect it to go any faster? It's no different than buying a car that isn't capable of going faster.

    15. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not driving i'm traveling.
      it's not a vehicle it's a vessel.

    16. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      By default, the cruise control in my car will look up and obey speed limits, which is a good idea as it saves me from having to twiddle controls every time the speed limit changes on the road I am following.

      When I push my foot down it obeys my foot, which is also a good thing as the machine does not have the ability to understand that I need to move fast down this single track road so the ambulance behind me can also move fast.

    17. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's already a thing: there are cars available that use cameras to read speed limit signs.

    18. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      What if you're a German rushing your poor sickly mother down the autobahn to the hospital for some emergency...

      If you're a German you've already called an ambulance and you're waiting patiently for it to arrive while you comfort Mutti. You're German, for heaven's sake, not Italian.

    19. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, this opens up a can of worms... I wouldn't buy a vulva that had that "feature"

    20. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by rogoshen1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      What if at some point in time, the powers that be deem 80 MPH as being too fast?

      What if your insurance company gets wind of this, and offers a better rate if you opt in to some kind of governor? (and eventually makes it cost prohibitive to not opt in?)

      Part of living in a free god damn society is having the freedom to do questionable, potentially stupid things. The individual learns from their mistakes, and is better for it. The problem with "but your rights end at wherever" argument is that it's an ever shifting, subjective line. And probably tends to get more and more narrow over time.

      I'd rather live with some amount of risk than limiting everyone to the equivalent of safety scissors and butter knives.

    21. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ditto

    22. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, it doesn't. Not everyone subscribes to that way of thinking. But I guess you have some mystical authority to tell everyone else not only what they must do, but also how they must think?

      You're most welcome to consider other people's mothers, but I only really give a damn about mine.

    23. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Chas · · Score: 2, Informative

      Maybe if I take my car to a track day, I might want to run it SLIGHTLY faster than the posted speed limits on the roads around the track.

      Maybe once you sell me something, it's NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS what I do with it.

      --


      Chas - The one, the only.
      THANK GOD!!!
    24. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Honestly, it's hard to argue against it when it's 32 mph faster than the highest posted limit in the countries the car is sold in.

      You can argue that you should be free to do what you want, but the fact is you already very much breaking the law at the limit. It's honestly a bit surprising they didn't govern it to 90 mphs (highest posted limit/suggestion + roughly 10%). Ironically, it's probably actually law enforcement that would be most against that...they tend to profit on speeding fines and honestly if we tech ourselves out of speeding they end up out of work. So it's no surprise it's limited high enough to max out tickets, but low enough they can easily catch you.

    25. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by ArchieBunker · · Score: 1

      Does not work in what way?

      --
      Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
    26. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The only way this could be more Swedish is if the car had a lutefisk air freshener.

    27. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by PrimaryConsult · · Score: 1

      I'd rather it be customisable to set either a percentage or flat offset of the posted limit. That offset could be positive or negative and that percentage could exceed 100.

    28. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by PrimaryConsult · · Score: 1

      What if your insurance company gets wind of this, and offers a better rate if you opt in to some kind of governor? (and eventually makes it cost prohibitive to not opt in?)

      The same thing that happens with most regulations that make dangerous things more expensive; the rich can still play with their toys while the rest of us look on in envy. Working as intended.

    29. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's really easy to spoof GPS... I do it all the time for fun and profit.

    30. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by quenda · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The popular Ford Falcon in Australia was limited to 180km/hr also, as an easy "fix" to a tailshaft problem. (rear-wheel-drive 4-litre engine)

      Of course, nobody cared, as there are no roads in Australia capable of that speed, even if you could afford the fuel bills. ]
      It saves money on tyres too, as they don't need to be rated as high.

    31. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What if you're a German rushing your poor sickly mother down the autobahn to the hospital for some emergency and you couldn't get her there in time and she died because some Swedish stuffed shirt decided that YOUR damn Volvo shouldn't go over 112mph?

      Buying a car to be used regularly on the German autobahn that is limited to 112MPH is as asinine as buying a car to be used regularly on American freeways that is limited to 60MPH.

      Volvo would be cutting it's own throat if it tried to pull that shit within 100 klicks of an autobahn. Shitty examples, are shitty.

    32. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by SpelledBackwards · · Score: 1

      The upholstery on my seats, you'll note, contains a gold fringe around its edges.

    33. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Code+Herder · · Score: 1

      If you whipe out at that speed, I donâ(TM)t think theyâ(TM)ll need to turn on the sirens ;)

    34. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Code+Herder · · Score: 1

      Well on the other hand I dont think I ever saw a volvo at a track.

    35. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Don't feed the troll.

      He's a sovereign citizen
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_citizen_movement

    36. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by R3d+M3rcury · · Score: 1

      Exactly.

      My car won’t go faster than 130 mph because they discovered that around that speed, the back-end has an annoying habit of leaving the ground.

      Somehow, I survive with this limitation.

      I’ve never encountered this, frankly. The fastest I’ve driven was 120 mph on an empty highway in Utah.

    37. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by dryeo · · Score: 2

      Do you think the average person considers tyre speed rating?

      --
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
    38. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by The+Grim+Reefer · · Score: 4, Funny

      I want my car's speed to be governed just like I had it on the NES Rad Racer... 0 or 255mph with no acceleration time.

      I feel bad for the person that will be cleaning you out of the passenger compartment,

    39. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And some jokstet near my home stuck a vinyl up that covered the 35 and put 85. And my BMW accelerated accordingly

    40. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't care about cars not going faster than 112 because I don't plan on ever driving over 112 mph. I just don't want to pay for the time and materials it took to add this feature.

    41. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by scdeimos · · Score: 1

      And ninety degree corners like in Automan.

    42. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by quenda · · Score: 2

      Do you think the average person considers tyre speed rating?

      The engineers do, so the first set of tyres at least.
      I needed a new set of low-profile tyres for a "sporty" car, and one shop tried to sell me some extremely expensive ones, because that is what the law demanded.
      The tyres I bought later for half the price, were technically illegal because rated only for 210km/hr instead of 240, or something like that. I doubt I ever exceeded 160. (overtaking road trains.)

    43. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by scdeimos · · Score: 1

      Nothing new there. People have been adding 1's to the left of speed signs since there have been speed signs.

    44. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Khyber · · Score: 1

      "In fact, unless you're the Madison Avenue stalwart professional driver on a closed course, why should you be able to drive that recklessly on the public highways"

      Who said it had to be on public highways, oh ye that knows naught of BLM lands?

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    45. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      Do you think the average person considers tyre speed rating?

      I don't think the average person even knows what that is. Years ago, I was cruising down Interstate 95 in my old Nissan Pulsar. I was moving more or less with traffic, when an old 1965 Ford Station wagon passes me, bouncing up and down, a real piece of shit.

      I glanced at my speedo, and about shit. I was going 105 mph, and that asshat must have been going at least 110. I somehow doubt he had speed rated tires. I let him get real far ahead.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    46. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What if your insurance company gets wind of this, and offers a better rate if you opt in to some kind of governor?

      Part of living in a free god damn society is having the freedom to do questionable, potentially stupid things.

      And not pay for it?

      As if driving too fast was a genetic disease that should be covered by society. Socialize the cost, liberalize the profit.

    47. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you want to run, go to a racing track and burn your car if you want, but don't do it on a public road. I seriously hate entitled assholes that think they are so good they can risk OTHER people's lives.

    48. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Maybe once you sell me something, it's NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS what I do with it.

      That's entirely true. However, before I sell it to you I'm legally, morally, and philosophically free to build in any limitations I see fit. If you don't like those limitations, you are free to abstain from purchasing. Of course, you are also free to purchase, then remove, or attempt to remove, the limitations.

    49. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by rogoshen1 · · Score: 1

      Don't worry Melvin, in about 15 years we'll no longer be allowed to drive our own cars -- with all the surveillance and tracking that comes with it.

      Then again.. honestly, public transit has been shown to be far safer than personal vehicles; so really the best solution is to only allow government sanctioned buses on the roads, you know, to keep you and the children safe.

    50. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by oic0 · · Score: 1

      You know they already make an in car monitoring device that they give you a small discount if you allow.

    51. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I for one like to drive my car on racetrack. I want to be able to disable the speed limit for on-track use.

    52. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Bert64 · · Score: 1

      Indeed, several times while driving down a highway i've seen a GPS unit erroneously think i was on a nearby city road with a much lower speed limit, if the car had automatically applied the brakes to slow me down from highway speeds to the legal limit on the city roads it would have caused unnecessary congestion on the highway at best, and at worst caused another vehicle to crash into the back of my car.

      --
      http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!
    53. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This feature has been a staple in cars for the past 30 years. It actually usually costs more to get one without it.

    54. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by gravewax · · Score: 1

      We have plenty of roads capable of that speed and well beyond. especially in the middle of the country. Though I must admit I always eased off once I hit 210 or 220 as the real danger is the roos or emus at that speed not the roads. We even had roads with no speed limit until relatively recently (think they are all gone now with the last few having 140 limits put on them)

    55. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by rally2xs · · Score: 2

      140. County road, late at night. 68 Vette, 327, 350 HP. Enjoyed. Wouldn't buy the Volvo.

    56. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Am I being woooshed? I mean Volvo cars already has that... (on most models) A camera that reads traffic signs and puts up a display in the dash (or H.U.D.) that shows current speed limit. It's not perfect though, if the limit has additional rules (like 30 km/h is only on school days) then it won't understand that (yet).

    57. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by quenda · · Score: 1

      the real danger is the roos or emus at that speed

      That's a big part. If a road is not fenced to keep animals out, I consider it unsafe at those speeds!
      At dusk or night, much less.
      You may be a little more Mad Max in your level of acceptable risk.

    58. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by fgouget · · Score: 1

      What if you're a German rushing your poor sickly mother down the autobahn to the hospital for some emergency and you couldn't get her there in time and she died because some Swedish stuffed shirt decided that YOUR damn Volvo shouldn't go over 112mph?

      Why didn't you call the emergency medical services? At least they would have been able to stabilize your mother during what you present as a long trip to the hospital.

    59. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by fgouget · · Score: 1

      Part of living in a free god damn society is having the freedom to do questionable, potentially stupid things. The individual learns from their mistakes, and is better for it.

      Well no, people don't learn much once dead. In fact they don't even have to suffer the consequences of their actions. It's the spouses and kids, your own and the other's, who have to live with no resource or in a wheelchair for life.

    60. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You think insurance companies need this built in to the car to do already?
      You can get cheaper insurance if you install a GPS tracker - so they know your position at points in time. If you have position and time, speed isn't a difficult calculation...

    61. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by hoofie · · Score: 1

      Of course, nobody cared, as there are no roads in Australia capable of that speed, even if you could afford the fuel bills.

      Er yes there is...or so my mate told me .

      Pootling around at 110kph here most European cars are just clearing their throats as they are easily capable of 200kph for the Autobahn. The clock on my XR5 goes up to 240. Even a smallish car will pass 160kph without being hammered. On the freeways here though 160 would be scary.

      My mate once complained about driving on the Autobahn at 250kph - he kept having to pull over to the inside lane as Porsches were coming up behind him considerably faster - and he was in a fast BMW.

    62. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A Waking Life fan?

    63. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      140 mph in an American car ?????

      Shit....you must have a death wish.

    64. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      The problem with GPS systems is that the map data gets out of date. Even Tesla has that problem with their over-the-air updates take months or years to recognize new limits.

      Other manufacturers have the ability to read road signs with a camera now, but it's not 100% perfect.

      Being stuck at a lower limit on a fast road is potentially quite dangerous. Having said that, why not limit to say 150 kph except when near Germany? Germany is pretty static so no issues with map updates, and the limit in the rest of Europe is 120 kph.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    65. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've hit rabbits at 120+mph, the only thing that happened is that there was no more rabbit and a 'thunk' noise under my car seat. Raccoons, especially the young ones, do not cause any more damage.

      Now, do watch for cattle, they like to stand on the road at night in the south west.

    66. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Erik+Hensema · · Score: 1

      "but your rights end at wherever" argument is that it's an ever shifting, subjective line.

      It is. But in general your rights end where you're endangering others. Or where things you do are stupid and costly to society (you know, cutting you out of your car, driving you to the morgue and doing all police paperwork is quite expensive).

      So no, if you think you absolutely positively have to be able to drive faster than 112 mph, you're an antisocial maniac. Or an american, which is close to the same.

      --

      This is your sig. There are thousands more, but this one is yours.

    67. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Part of living in a free god damn society is having the freedom to do questionable, potentially stupid things.

      Only if they only affect you. If you do 112 MPH on a public road you are quite likely to injure or kill others, not to mention damage their property.

      More over, the public road isn't your personal playground, it's a shared resource we all contributed to and we collectively decided on rules for its use. Supporting very high speeds costs money - additional safety equipment on the road, higher maintenance standards, extra emergency services. Are you volunteering to pay for that or do you think everyone should fund your racing driver lifestyle?

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    68. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by DrXym · · Score: 1
      Lots of cars have a speed limiter. Even my relatively crappy hatch has one of those - I set it to 55kmh around town so I can only marginally exceed the posted limit. Out on a motorway I might switch to using the cruise control.

      If I turn on the satnav, the car will even bitch at me if I exceed the limit.

    69. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by DrXym · · Score: 1

      Many modern cars have a satnav system which is a far more reliable way of knowing the posted speed limit. Much easier to do than pulling a number out of a sea of analog noise under a variety of conditions.

    70. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by goose-incarnated · · Score: 0

      You can argue that you should be free to do what you want, but the fact is you already very much breaking the law at the limit.

      So? The cops are there for those who break the law, not for those planning to.

      There's absolutely no good reason to physically restrain people "just in case they want to break the law".

      Let's not make pre-crime a reality.

      --
      I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.
    71. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by someoneOtherThanMe · · Score: 1

      That, and if your auto hits a fat rabbit at 112 mph, you and mother are going to arrive at the hospital in another vehicle... one with lights and a siren.

      And, very conveniently, if your speedo is in mph, you have the emergency call number listed right there.

    72. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by troon · · Score: 1

      Almost all cars have, or could have for no additional material cost, the ability to limit speed in software.

      You actually pay much more for components engineered to cope with the usually-unused capability to go faster: wheels, tyres, brakes, gearing, power output etc.

      --
      Ydco co ,df C erb-y go. a Ekrpat t.fxrapev
    73. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by CompMD · · Score: 1

      Volvo has had this for years, but not in US market cars.

    74. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I had to take my kid to hospital because he was not breathing do to convulsions. I was 125+ mph. Portuguese highway. Easy driving. It's a Renault Laguna. I was complaining to the car for beeing too slow. My wife asked why i didn't went faster...

      The limit here it's 75 but most people drive at least at 87. 112 it's ok speed to drive for 200 miles.

    75. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not authority. It's a philosophy, just like yours. And equally as valid. Your high horse is actually just a regular horse that you've overinflated, which is typical of the average 'ma freeeeedoooooms' buffoon.

    76. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Pascal+Sartoretti · · Score: 1

      Part of living in a free god damn society is having the freedom to do questionable, potentially stupid things.

      Ok, but not on the street on which I am riding my bike, or that my children might cross by foot.

      But please don't refrain from taking cocaine or doing base jumping.

    77. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What if a bee flies up your ass?

      'what if...' the cry of the binary simpleton. I'm convinced the idiots of this world are those that don't understand that the world is full of nuance. They only see 2 states.

    78. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The detailed location isn't satnav or GPS. It's wi-fi access points, which are more ubiquitous and more precisely located on digital maps for reference triangulationn. All of the systems, however, can get weirdly confused in downtown areas where reflection and blocking of the signals, well, it gets weird out there.

    79. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Antique+Geekmeister · · Score: 1

      On large highways, at 4:00 AM with no traffic, there is a real temptation to test what a vehicle can do. In the US southwest, there are quite long stretches of flat, straight road between urban centers that lend themselves to such testing. I'll admit that I've been tempted on cross-country driving, though I wasn't personally driving vehicles that could possibly go _that_ fast.

    80. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Roughly 120 MPH, the speedometer needle was bouncing. St. Louis, highway 44, middle of the night, 1963 Chevy Impala that we'd rebuilt, the car was as old as me. The steering was *not* my friend at that speed, never did it again, but I had to let the throttle out *once*.

    81. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Musical_Joe · · Score: 1

      According to Autocar, my 2002 AMG SL55 will hit 201mph. At 140 it was perfectly calm and stable, but I got scared and decided someone else could test the claim...

    82. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So, how often do you take your Volvo to a track day?

    83. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      People like you should be killed for the freedom of us all

    84. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are one of the idiots that thinks slippery slope and wedge issues don't exist, and after all if you aren't doing anything wrong you got nothing to hide.

    85. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Registered+Coward+v2 · · Score: 1

      "Damn car manufacturers telling me what to Do... For who exactly, is 112 mph not fast enough?

      In fact, unless you're the Madison Avenue stalwart professional driver on a closed course, why should you be able to drive that recklessly on the public highways and put the rest of us at risk of getting caught up in a vehicular altercation with you?

      Mah rights!

      Well, some of us do drive road cars on a track, so a track mode that disables the limiter would be useful in such situations. As for on the street, I agree; however there are roads in the Western US that are long, straight, and you can very well be the only one on the road. In such cases, driving fast in a well maintained car on a well maintained road doesn't endanger other drivers. Not the smartest idea, but the only idiot being endangered is behind the wheel. Not every road in the world is heavily trafficked.

      --
      I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
    86. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Renault does include this in their cars. The cruise control on the Clios and Meganes that I've driven have a switch which alternates between cruise control mode and speed limiting modes and the cruise control light on the dash is orange or green accordingly.

      The accelerator has a limit switch at the end so if you're at your speed limiter and you actually really need to go faster you can just plant your foot and the speed limiter is overriden.

      Unfortunately the setpoint for the limiter is still manual but it works really well in the "average speed check" zones that I drive through every day.

    87. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      What if you're a German rushing your poor sickly mother down the autobahn to the hospital

      No german would do that. They would call an ambulance to do that. Unlike those uncivilised 3rd world countries there's no financial penalty for calling an ambulance.

    88. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by thegarbz · · Score: 2

      What if your insurance company gets wind of this

      Insurance companies already use black box data in determining the pay-out during an accident. God help you if you're doing more than 93mph on the autobahn and someone else causes an accident. Guess what, insurance company says you're still liable.

    89. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by mjwx · · Score: 1

      The threat to your poor sickly mother has to at least be weighed against the threat to other drivers, including someone else's perfectly healthy mother headed down the autobahn to market.

      That, and if your auto hits a fat rabbit at 112 mph, you and mother are going to arrive at the hospital in another vehicle... one with lights and a siren.

      First off, I drive a manual... Enough of this auto nonsense, I am capable of driving :)

      Secondly, I've never been able to buy the argument of "what if someone is bleeding out". It's bollocks. If someone is seriously injured the last thing you want to do is put them in a car and move them. Stabilise them where they are and wait for assistance, call the emergency number in your country if you don't have a clue how to do this, they'll talk you through it. Someone who is bleeding out will only get worse as you speed over potholes in your car with standard suspension and low profile tyres.

      There's a reason Ambulances are made from large pickups or vans with custom suspension and driver training is intensive. Someone with a crappy Korean SUV and automatic only license is nowhere near fit to be transporting a patient in critical condition.

      And I'm not a slow driver in the slightest.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    90. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Doesn't matter how safe this idea sounds, you never let corporations and companies dictate moral decisions. It has nothing to do with them. This will only lead to abuse and control of the lower classes of society. There is no way around that.

    91. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anubis+IV · · Score: 1

      I’m glad they didn’t limit it that low. I remember once being on a road trip where, for whatever reason, all of the cars on the road were doing 90 mph. It lasted for maybe 30 minutes as we were on I-10 between major cities on a flat, straight stretch with wide lanes with no other traffic in sight that entire time. It’s the fastest I’ve ever gone while simply keeping up with the speed of traffic, so it sticks out in my mind, to say the least.

      I’ve never had reason to go that fast again, nor reason to go that fast prior to then, but I’m glad I had the option at the time. Putting the limit a bit north of that excludes any instances like mine.

    92. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Would a 112 mph average speed limit work for you?

    93. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > That, and if your auto hits a fat rabbit at 112 mph, you and mother are going to arrive at the hospital in another vehicle... one with lights and a siren.

      This.

      In ideal circumstances, you can drive 120mph but there's no guarantee that the road will be ideal or any way for you to know that.

      At 112mph, hitting that fat rabbit is going to be safer than serving and trying to avoid it (and losing control of the car in the process.)

      Any animal smaller than a medium sized dog I will not swerve or even slow down for - unless it is already dead animal with sharp bones poking out of the carcass.

    94. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by BostonPilot · · Score: 1

      >> My car won’t go faster than 130 mph because they discovered that around that speed, the back-end has an annoying habit of leaving the ground.

      Ah, fond memories of my Fiat X 1/9 which, at around 110 mph would lift the front wheels enough off the ground that the steering wheel would stop steering the vehicle! Discovered on the way home from a race in Maine on a flat stretch of highway...

      >>140. County road, late at night. 68 Vette, 327, 350 HP. Enjoyed. Wouldn't buy the Volvo.

      Fast enough on my CBR 1000RR to not want to post numbers here. But I have to say, at the rated speeds for that motorcycle one does start dwelling on the what ifs. "What if my front tire blows?" "What if my chain breaks?" Those sorts of things.

      My Tesla Model 3 is speed limited to 155, although I heard we will be getting an over-the-air update to raise that to 165... Sweet!

      And yeah, although I understand where Volvo is coming from, I also wouldn't buy a car governed to such a slow speed. Not sure why, but somehow it seems wrong!

    95. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How does that work with variable speed limits? For example in the UK they lower the speed on the motorways during periods of congestion, or if course there are additional restrictions around road works.

    96. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      KE = 0.5 * m * v^2

      Yes, speed kills.

      And stopping distance depends as much on your tyres as the surface of the road (not so much brakes as some idiots think)

    97. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by apoc.famine · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I thought that way as well, but a recent study in the US found that gunshot victims brought to the nearest hospital by private car tended to survive better than those that waited for an ambulance. There are a few types of critical injuries where faster surgery really does outweigh the damage done by a violent, fast car ride to the hospital. Apparently leaking from large holes in you is one of those.

      --
      Velociraptor = Distiraptor / Timeraptor
    98. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by strikethree · · Score: 1

      Actually I'd like a mode where it essentially limited to the speed limit unless I chose to exceed it for lets say overtaking. I have this almost in my current car instead of cruise control a speed limit is set.

      Mercedes from as far back as 2004, likely even earlier, can do this. If you own a Mercedes and are unaware, it is part of the cruise control. Read your manual.

      --
      "Someone needs to talk to the tree of liberty about its ghoulish drinking problem." by ohnocitizen
    99. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      On travel-vids I see lots of straight flat Auzzi roads where 150 MPH in an able car would not stress the reflexes. 'Course not all drive Beemers , Jags or Mercedes able to maintain that speed, but Auzzi roads are ready for it. Now ... about the Ruger 9mm semi rifle for kangerooz ..... and ever overbearing Trotsky-sluts of which Auzziland has more than hoppers!

    100. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Silly American. Other countries (hallo Deutschland) have better drivers and higher speed limits, if any. How you scored a 5 amazes me. Must have been other silly Americans.

    101. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by rally2xs · · Score: 1

      The reason it is too slow is that I'm personally capable of handling more speed. When they limit it to, say, 150, I know I'll never see it 'cuz I don't have the balls for that in a public road. Just one deer... track would be a different story.

      Otherwise, it's said that the fire that roared thru the California forests with its "accumulated biomass" propagated at 200 mph. You're not outrunning that from an even start, but if you have a head start, the difference between 112 and "more" might be life and death. Also, the recent humongous tornadoes could have stood some outrunning on the right road, and 112 may or may not have been enough depending on the geometry, rainfall, etc. Dry straight road, it's approaching obliquely on an intercept course, you might need all the speed that the engine is capable of. Never know. And then of course there's the situation where you're being chased by criminals that want to do you harm. This is why some people pay big bucks for capable road machinery - kidnapping - and they can't do it if that can't catch you.

      Sure, those are all highly unusual situations, but its like having a gun and not needing it, or needing a gun and not having it. There are good reasons to carry...

    102. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Mr.+Droopy+Drawers · · Score: 1

      My '63 Imperial has "Auto Pilot" (Chrysler's name, not mine). It can run in 2 modes. Turn the dial to the speed you want to go and hit the center start button. Or, you can set the dial to the max speed you want to go. The gas pedal gets very hard at that point indicating you've reached that limit.

      --

      To Copy from One is Plagiarism; To Copy from Many is Research.

    103. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by tehcyder · · Score: 2

      Part of living in a free god damn society is having the freedom to do questionable, potentially stupid things. The individual learns from their mistakes, and is better for it.

      There is a big difference between stupid things that hurt you, and stupid things that hurt other people.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    104. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The threat to your poor sickly mother has to at least be weighed against the threat to other drivers, including someone else's perfectly healthy mother headed down the autobahn to market.

      That, and if your auto hits a fat rabbit at 112 mph, you and mother are going to arrive at the hospital in another vehicle... one with lights and a siren.

      Ok, point taken, but realistically, I have been in that exact situation, made sure that it was safe to do so, and went as fast as possible. The question is not about rabbits, or indeed, other cars on the road. A rabbit can cause accident at any speed. Any car can veer suddenly.

      The question is about whether you and your car can safely handle the speed you are about to go at that time. The car is half the equation. If it is reliable at that speed and you are a properly experienced driver* (for example, I have 30 years of high speed highway driving with zero accidents) then it is not reasonable that an imposed limit which belongs to neither half of the equation dominates your action.

      People run red lights, and sometimes they need to because the consequences of not running are dire. To argue against this is inhuman.

    105. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're welcome to put yourself at risk, but not to put others at risk. To impose your risk on others is to invade their freedom.

    106. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It already tries to do that, it seems to miss them less than I do.

    107. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You do not have any legal authority to break the speed limit, ambulance or otherwise. The safest thing to do is slow down, pull over, and stop. It is extremely rare for an ambulance to be "stuck" behind you. And even if they are, just drive normally and safely until it is safe to pull over.

      You seem like a real dickhead.

    108. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Being stuck at a lower limit on a fast road is potentially quite dangerous."

      No it is not. Stop perpetrating this bullshit.

    109. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Always slow down.

    110. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It is about freedom, not the need to speed. When you tell me I cant do something that just makes me want to do it more. If all car manufactures did this you would see modification shops open up and people would just modify this type of thing out. When I was in the army uncle Sam put a governor on all 2 1/2 ton trucks that limited the max speed to 55. For some reason mine never functioned shortly after I was assigned it.

    111. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by ProfBooty · · Score: 2

      I've seen plenty of turbo bricks on the track.

      Very rare for a more modern one though.

      --
      Bring back the old version of slashdot.
    112. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So, which part says you can't modify what you bought?
      Learn how to hack the system.
      If you are running it stock, then you are running it stock.
      If you want it to go faster, then tweak the code.

      Same as buying a computer... Just a different version of overclocking.

    113. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ideally waiting for emergency services doubles your time to the hospital on a normal day. They aren't waiting right next door after all. Worst case they wont even find you, since not every town has a nice grid layout for every road.

    114. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      or only like straight lines

    115. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Honestly, it's hard to argue against it when it's 32 mph faster than the highest posted limit in the countries the car is sold in.

      But it is not 32 mph faster than the highest posted limit in the countries the car is sold in. Last time I was on a business trip, my colleague pushed the rented car (a Ford) to its limit of 137 mph without violating the law. The German autobahn still has sections without a speed limit and 137 is by far not the fastest you have to expect on the left lane. Every once in a while you will meet a BMW, Mercedes, or Porsche going faster than that.

    116. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Stay off the highway grandpa.

    117. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >Part of living in a free god damn society

      heh. you aint paying attention. that ship sailed.

    118. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by imrahilj · · Score: 1

      I haven't driven on the autobahn in a few years, but when I did there were many Germans driving much faster than 112 mph, and much faster than this American even when I was driving around that speed.

    119. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Move to Syria, then. With no functional government, you're free to drive as fast as you damned well please.

      I hope you have fun with all the idiots with automatic weapons who are also not being limited ti the equivalent of safety scissors and butter knives.

    120. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No you donâ(TM)t

    121. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      Autonomous and driver assist cars read the speed limit signs ...

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    122. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's obvious you don't drive. Usually people learn in their first 1000 miles driving that it's a very bad idea to go too slow.

    123. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      The general speed limit might be 120 (on highways), but there are plenty of highways where it is higher, e.g. in France: 160 km/h (or was it 140? and I just burn 160? uh uh, don't remember :D )

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    124. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      Exceeding speed limits is illegal even if you have an emergency to transport. The idea that you can bring your mother faster to the hospital in your car, than a helicopter reachers your house, is completely idiotic.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    125. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      And, very conveniently, if your speedo is in mph, you have the emergency call number listed right there.

      I'd love a car that goes 911 MPH.

    126. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      The idea that you can bring your mother faster to the hospital in your car, than a helicopter reachers your house, is completely idiotic.

      The local ER is a half a mile away. From a dead-stop standing in my kitchen I can get to the ER in five minutes max. I also pass by the closest urgent care facility on the way to the ER, so four minutes or less to that.

      The closest helicopter evac base is 60 miles away, across a range of mountains that can often be IFR/icing. Once they take an hour to spool up and get to my house, the closest landing site is ... at the local hospital.

      So, I can drive to the ER in five minutes, or wait an hour for the helicopter after driving five minutes to the local hospital helo pad. Which is idiotic, again?

    127. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      Honestly, it's hard to argue against it when it's 32 mph faster than the highest posted limit in the countries the car is sold in.

      Honestly, it is trivial to argue against it when it is a blanket-restriction that ignores different situations and needs, and tries to apply one solution to a limited problem.

      I just replied to someone who claimed that driving one's mother to the hospital was idiotic when you consider how fast a helicopter could do it. The point I didn't explicitly state in that reply is that there are an essentially infinite number of situations that people can find themselves in, and that a one-solution-for-all answer that prevents a limited number of cases is itself idiotic. Unless, of course, you think that everyone in the world drives their Volvos at 113mph or higher ... the number of people this is intended to stop is a tiny fraction.

    128. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      It is. But in general your rights end where you're endangering others.

      Every time you get into a car you endanger someone else.

      Every time you cook dinner, you endanger someone else. (Unless you only ever eat alone, of course.)

      Every time you open an umbrella, you endanger someone else. (Hey, you just poked me in the eye you bastard!)

      At what point do your rights end, again?

      Or where things you do are stupid and costly to society

      It costs a lot of money for an ambulance to come deal with a choking victim who ate a hotdog the wrong way. At what point does your right to eat a hot dog end?

    129. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Does not work in what way?

      It does not work in any way in which you can broadcast the spoof coordinates of where you want the GPS devices to think they are.

      Google GPS Signal and GPS Spoofing for more information.

    130. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      The parent was idiotic. Why do yo give a moronic answer is beyond me.

      The closest helicopter base to my house is not even a mile, in case you are interested. But I have three hospitals around me, each about a mile or less than a mile away. Obviously they all would send an ambulance ...

      In your case it is the same, why not call an ambulance (emergency number) with a real doctor inside than driving yourself to the hospital and trying to get attention of emergency personell?

      And hint: a helicopter does not need an hour for 60mile ... modern helicopters are like cars, you fire them up and 1 or 2 mins later they are ready to go.

      can often be IFR/icing
      No idea what that means ...

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    131. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Only in America does the problem “too many guns” have a solution “need faster cars”.

    132. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      The closest helicopter base to my house is not even a mile, in case you are interested.

      I don't care in the least. I responded to an idiotic blanket statement about the use of helicopter emergency response services based on personal experience.

      I think the point you just missed is that different people have different situations to deal with, and blanket statements like yours calling something idiotic based solely on your situation is, itself, idiotic.

      But I have three hospitals around me, each about a mile or less than a mile away. Obviously they all would send an ambulance ...

      Well, here again, you're making statements about your personal situation that don't apply to others. First, why would you expect them all to send an ambulance to deal with one person? That's idiotic to start with. Any sane dispatcher will order out one ambulance to deal with one person. But then, where I live the hospitals don't have ambulances. Ambulance service is a function of the fire department. (Reason: because it is much faster for the dispatcher to tone-out a fire response than to deal with a hospital resource.) The closest fire station is a mile away, the opposite direction. Even if they're not out on a call already, it is still faster for me to drive to the ER.

      In your case it is the same,

      Uhh, another idiotic statement. I think it is pretty clear our cases are not the same, just from my initial description.

      why not call an ambulance (emergency number) with a real doctor inside

      Because none of the ambulances I have ever been in have had "a real doctor" inside. The fire department does not even keep "real doctors" on-site. Another example of how "in your case it is the same" is a lie.

      and trying to get attention of emergency personell?

      It takes no effort to get the attention of ER personnel. You just drive up to the door in most cases. Walk inside otherwise. They're right there.

      And hint: a helicopter does not need an hour for 60mile ...

      I didn't say it did. I said it would take an hour to spool up and cross the mountains. They aren't sitting in a warmed-up already running helo when I call. (I don't even talk to them, I talk to a local dispatcher who has to decide to call them out. That takes time.) Not even the Coast Guard operates that way. There's ground time getting to and preflighting the helo before they can even start flying. Of course, maybe in your magic world where three hospitals all send an ambulance to deal with one person, with a "real doctor" in each one, all the medical helos do sit with rotors turning ready to leap off the ground at the first hint of someone to go get.

      can often be IFR/icing No idea what that means ...

      Sometimes that means that they can't fly at all. That hour delay turns into a couple of hours as the second closest helo gets activated and dispatched.

      So, like I said, I can either drive to the closest spot a helo can pick up my poor, injured mother in five minutes and wait an hour for the helo to show up, or I can drive directly to the ER (right across the road from the helo pad) and save a huge amount of time. Yes, I think the "call a helo" answer is the idiotic one.

    133. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by ArchieBunker · · Score: 1

      The Kremlin seems to be able to accomplish it https://money.cnn.com/2016/12/...

      --
      Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
    134. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by Xenx · · Score: 1

      You're an AC, so I didn't see the response and wouldn't be shocked if you don't see mine. To clarify, I'm one of the idiots that believes we have a choice in what we purchase. Volvo has intentionally cultivated safety as part of their image and design philosophy. They're being open and public about this decision. If you don't like their decision, buy from someone else or buy used. You're not exactly lacking in options.

    135. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      I think the point you just missed is that different people have different situations to deal with, and blanket statements like yours calling something idiotic based solely on your situation is, itself, idiotic.
      No, they don't have.

      It is always faster and safer to call the emergency and get an ambulance to YOUR place than take a sick/wounded/injured into your car and drive to the next hospital YOU think is the right one.

      Yes, I think the "call a helo" answer is the idiotic one. You don't literally call a helo. You call emergency, and they decide if they sent a helo.

      You still don't grasp the grand parents mistake, he thinks a car that is throttled down can not be used to save his mother, when the right thing is to get a doctor ASAP to his place and not hurry around in a car to SOME place.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    136. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You need a special permit for that and have to join an exclusive club affiliated with the military. The car is also stubby and with a weird-looking body (including oversized spoiler), and its mileage is measured in feet-per-gallons...

    137. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That, and if your auto hits a fat rabbit at 112 mph, you and mother are going to arrive at the hospital in another vehicle... one with lights and a siren.

      Just for fun its interesting to think of the math.

      E = 1/2 mv^2.

      For further simplicity lets just call f(x)=v^2, as its all proportional anyway.

      f(10)=100
      f(25)=625
      f(50)=2500
      f(75)=5625
      f(100)=10000
      f(112)=12544
      f(125)=15625
      f(150)=22500
      f(175)=30625
      f(200)=40000

      So a 112mph crash is about 125 times worse than a 10 mile per hour crash. If your talking a head on collision with both drivers at 112 mph then multiple by 4.

      A 112mph limit doesn't seem that bad to me. I've only hit that speed or near about once in my lifetime and that was scary. Now one way around the limit might be a special certified autonomy lane, where cars capable of faster speeds can do so, but only with computer control.

    138. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      GPS is entirely non-encrypted for civilian use. GPS spoofers will override the weak (because far away in orbit) satellite signals with their own. And yes, if you do this, prepare for the FCC and DOT and even the freaking FAA to be arguing over who gets to fine/arrest you first.

    139. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by DrXym · · Score: 1
      Many roads in the UK post their variable speed limits in odd places, e.g. above certain lanes, or on temporary signs for roadworks. In some cases they don't post an explicit speed limit at all - they'll use a national speed limit marker and you're supposed to know what the speed limit is based upon the kind of road you're on - single lane (60mph), dual carriageway(70mph). In other places they will have large speed signs interspersed by smaller "repeater" signs. On less travelled roads these can be partially obscured by hedgerows or trees. In city centres there might be no posted speed limits at all except on the boundaries to faster roads.

      I wouldn't trust a car using a camera to reliably infer all of that in all weather conditions - snow, rain, dark, strong sunlight. At the very least it has to fall back onto a satnav.

      Besides all that, the UK and Ireland often post up national speed limit on roads when there is absolutely no chance in hell you could safely drive at that speed. The basic rule is you drive safely at the speed allowed by the prevailing conditions. I can well imagine the whacky adventures a self driving car will have if it thinks it can drive 60mph up some country lane.

    140. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by painandgreed · · Score: 1

      That, and if your auto hits a fat rabbit at 112 mph, you and mother are going to arrive at the hospital in another vehicle... one with lights and a siren.

      From experience in driving through Arizona, only if you swerve. Hit a rabbit at high speed and you and your car probably won't notice except for the thumping sound on the floorboard. What really kills people is when they try and swerve to miss the rabbit at 112 mph. Jerk the wheel to the side all of a sudden, and that will cause the car to lose control and roll. Everybody in the area is taught to just go straight through and not swerve to try and miss the rabbits. Just listen to their little bodies thump under the car in anguish. Now the cows that end up on the highways because it is all freerange. Those will kill you at much lower speeds than 112 mph as they are just high enough on their legs for their 600 pound bodies to go through the front windshield.

    141. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      No, they don't have.

      You apparently lack any reading comprehension skills, or are so infatuated with your ability to jump down someone elses throat for what you can't understand that you didn't bother reading what you replied to.

      In just this example, the OP has three hospitals within one mile. I have one that is half a mile away. That's difference. He would get ambulances from all three hospitals. I would get one from a fire station even further away than the hospital. His ambulances would contain "real doctors". Mine would not. These are all differences. Denying they exist is moronic.

      It is always faster and safer to call the emergency and get an ambulance to YOUR place

      It may be safer, but it is not always faster, and it is not always best for the patient. If, for example, all four ambulances of the fire department are out on other calls when I need one, they may be hours away from being able to help. Hours. And I can make a five minute drive. Compare the time. Five minutes, on planet Earth, is shorter than "hours". Maybe different on the planet where you live.

      But that's irrelevant. The comment I replied to compared driving to the hospital against HELICOPTER services. Very specific, and it doesn't include ambulances at all. You didn't bother to read or comprehend that, so now you think you've won some magic token.

      You still don't grasp the grand parents mistake, he thinks a car that is throttled down can not be used to save his mother,

      That's rich, you telling me what I didn't grasp when it was you who missed completely the comparison between driving and flying. And no, the person you are referring to didn't say it cannot be used.

      when the right thing is to get a doctor ASAP to his place

      How is it the right thing to wait hours or days to get a doctor to come make a house call instead of driving the patient to the doctor-house? How is it the right thing to try to get an appointment to get a doctor to come to your house, or to drag a doctor away from the emergency room, to deal with one person? Fact: it isn't. It's the wrong thing.

      and not hurry around in a car to SOME place.

      No, nit, not SOME place, to a HOSPITAL. That's A place where there are lots of doctors and nurses and equipment an medicines, but most of all, doctors. A specific place.

      And it will ALWAYS be faster to drive five minutes straight to the hospital instead of waiting for a helicopter to be dispatched, take off, fly to the closest landing pad, and drive to the landing pad so the helo can pick up the patient -- who still needs to be transported to the hospital after all of that. Always.

      You don't literally call a helo. You call emergency, and they decide if they sent a helo.

      Oh for fuck's sake, now I know you are a troll. I said that very thing. You're being a dick and pretending "call a helo" means I personally called the helo when I already said that that doesn't happen.

    142. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Phillip2 · · Score: 1

      The problem with the "I want to live in a free society" argument is that you can use it to justify anything you like at all. Including one person taking risks and another person paying the price for it.

      Let's be clear here; the article is about limiting a 1000kg of metal to move less than 112mph. This is way, way, far away from safety scissors or butter knifes.

    143. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Phillip2 · · Score: 1

      So, if you want to drive down the motor way with a 6 foot long sharp iron spike on the front of a car with no breaks, that's fine?

      Cars kill lots of people. We have, over the years, putting a significant number of safety restrictions on cars. This is right and proper. I don't know why they haven't had speed limiters fitted years ago. Simple, easy to do and would have a small but measurable impact on peoples life.

      Small, because speeding cars mostly kill people at much lower speeds than this.

    144. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by goose-incarnated · · Score: 1

      So, if you want to drive down the motor way with a 6 foot long sharp iron spike on the front of a car with no breaks, that's fine?

      There's laws against selling cars with spikes on the front (seriously, look it up), there's no law against selling cars faster than some speed limits.

      Cars kill lots of people. We have, over the years, putting a significant number of safety restrictions on cars.

      Quite correct - we make laws about what car manufacturers put into their cars. Speed limiters aren't part of those laws.

      Physically restraining people because they might break the law is very different from forcing car manufacturers to remove spikes from the front before sale.

      How about we physically restrain you, because you have all the equipment necessary for rape?

      --
      I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.
    145. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      It may be safer, but it is not always faster, and it is not always best for the patient. If, for example, all four ambulances of the fire department are out on other calls when I need one, they may be hours away from being able to help. Hours. And I can make a five minute drive. Compare the time. Five minutes, on planet Earth, is shorter than "hours". Maybe different on the planet where you live.

      You only know that after you called emergency. The parent just wanted to drive ahead and complained a car reduced to a speed of maximum 122 might get his mother die.

      The rest of your argument, again, is just silly nitpicking.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    146. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      You only know that after you called emergency.

      No, I can pretty much know ahead of time that getting a helicopter to come pick someone up will take a lot longer than five minutes. You see, that's because I know the situation here, which is obviously different than other people's.

      I can also know that it will take less time to drive the half mile to the ER myself instead of waiting for the ambulance to "fire up" and drive a mile or more to my house and THEN drive the half mile to the ER. It's simple maths. As for waiting for a doctor to show up at my house, I would spend more time on the phone trying to convince one to come than it would take to drive to where one is. After convincing one to come, I'd still have to wait for him to drive here, which, since it would likely be the hospital he'd be coming from, means it would still be faster to drive myself than wait for him to come pick her up.

      The parent just wanted to drive ahead and complained a car reduced to a speed of maximum 122 might get his mother die.

      I'll point out this again, and maybe the troll will listen. I wasn't replying to "the parent". I was replying to the fellow who tried comparing a helicopter transport to driving. I really don't give a shit what your "parent" was arguing, and that should be obvious because I didn't reply to him.

    147. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      I really don't give a shit what your "parent" was arguing, and that should be obvious because I didn't reply to him.
      Then why did you reply to me? Sounds pretty pointless ... a helicopter makes more than 122 miles ... can go nearly every where and contains: a doctor.

      If you want to argue you can drive safe and fast from A to B and the equivalent ambulance needs more time from B to A ... then please accept: that is only true in extremely special cases. And has nothing to do with helicopters or cars not exceeding 122miles.

      My car e.g. is parked a mile away from my house ... also a special case.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    148. Re: 112 speedo limit is fine.... by speedlaw · · Score: 1

      Have you ever seen trucks on the highway, with speed limiters pass each other. Truck with 67 mph limiter takes an hour to pass truck with 65 mph limiter. Free flow backs up into a conga line. Wrong !

    149. Re:112 speedo limit is fine.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Once that one is in you can be dead sure they would force on you whatever they want.

  2. You have to go fast by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    to get the first post

    1. Re:You have to go fast by bob4u2c · · Score: 1

      to get the first post

      Too slow.

    2. Re: You have to go fast by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Found the AC posting from a Volvo

  3. Virtue signalling by TheMeuge · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Maybe they should also chide the drivers for being too wasteful of gas if they happen to accelerate too fast... or issue fines for using the wrong pronouns.

    1. Re:Virtue signalling by rea1l1 · · Score: 1

      I'm looking forward to a printer installed in the dash that spits out speeding tickets every time the limit is broken.

    2. Re:Virtue signalling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rVQGT01Kzg

    3. Re:Virtue signalling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Things that aren't important to me = virtue signalling

      - Lazy thinker

    4. Re:Virtue signalling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually an option to give tips on saving petrol in real time would be kinda nifty given how much petrol costs these days!

    5. Re: Virtue signalling by Type44Q · · Score: 1

      That feature probably won't be pushed on us until they've trialed it in China and Sweden first.

    6. Re: Virtue signalling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      John Spartan, you have been fined one credit for a violation of the motor vehicle code...

    7. Re: Virtue signalling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      64 mph should be enough for everybody. LOL! :)

      My city vehicle doesn't even go that fast! This is funny :)
        --
      "Is Wreck Ralph The Next Casey Neistat for Young Wannabe YouTubers?" #SomethingPositive & Hard work ! :)

    8. Re: Virtue signalling by sakono · · Score: 1

      Just watched that movie last night.

    9. Re: Virtue signalling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I came here to make this joke. You beat me to it. :-p

    10. Re:Virtue signalling by mishehu · · Score: 1

      "Welcome back, Mr. Dallas. You have FIVE points remaining on your license."

    11. Re: Virtue signalling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Looks like you are no longer the customer... Now it is the state.

    12. Re:Virtue signalling by SpelledBackwards · · Score: 1

      The Ford Fusion hybrid has/had green leaves that would light up on the dash if you were driving in an acceleration/speed envelope that gave good fuel mileage results:
      https://designobserver.com/fea...

    13. Re:Virtue signalling by sjames · · Score: 1

      The up side of your prediction is that if you have to hurry to the next restroom, you'll have a nice supply of toilet paper ready.

    14. Re: Virtue signalling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Try living in Europe where gas and cars cost 4 times the US price

    15. Re: Virtue signalling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Better learn how to use the three seashells.

    16. Re:Virtue signalling by stooo · · Score: 1

      Gas ? new cars will run on electrons, mostly.

      --
      aaaaaaa
    17. Re: Virtue signalling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Live in Europe and my car does not take any petrol or diesel... There is a cable sticking out of it every now and then ;

      Just saying....

    18. Re:Virtue signalling by dargaud · · Score: 1

      Maybe they should also chide the drivers for being too wasteful of gas if they happen to accelerate too fast

      As someone who live on the main (straight) road of a small village right after a speed bump, believe me when I say I'd LOVE to see something like that. Speed limit is 20mph, but morons on their bike (and some souped up cars) systematically launch the throttle right at this spot and are 50mph over the limit by the time they exit the village. I've grown to hate bikers. Why are noise ordnances on bikers NEVER enforced ?!? There's only 140 biker crash a year on that mountain road; not enough for Darwin to have an effect yet IMHO.

      --
      Non-Linux Penguins ?
    19. Re:Virtue signalling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      electric cars existed for over 100 years

    20. Re: Virtue signalling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Text you the fine. Cheaper and saves trees.

    21. Re: Virtue signalling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Iâ(TM)d like to see an environmental tax on noise pollution, with dB cap and heavy penalties for cheating the taxes of breaking the cap. Itâ(TM)s not just bikers I hate, but middle aged men with small dicks.

    22. Re:Virtue signalling by Mr.+Droopy+Drawers · · Score: 1

      This goes way back further than that. My dad's 1975 F-150 had a dash light that would illuminate when you were "wasteful" of fuel. It ran of a vacuum port of the carburetor.

      --

      To Copy from One is Plagiarism; To Copy from Many is Research.

    23. Re:Virtue signalling by LifesABeach · · Score: 1

      I just have the image in my head of a high speed chase where the bad guy has a 1967 green mustang and is followed by several Volvo's driven by moms. The scolding that bad guy will get will closely approach Very Loud.

    24. Re: Virtue signalling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pretty sure the older Ford Focus has the same thing.

    25. Re:Virtue signalling by Phillip2 · · Score: 1

      Of course, these things are not good, and producing more pollution is a bad things.

      But, I think, it's hard to argue really, that a speeding car is political correctness, snowflakism or what ever other alt-right phrase is flavour of the month.

      A speeding car is actually, a large and fast moving lump of metal. These lumps of metal are responsible for a large number of deaths every year; there is very little that an individual can do to protect themselves from the risk that other people driving cars badly can cause. As the energy of a collision goes up very quickly with speed, excessive speed significantly increases the risk of death of anyone hit.

      Speed limits are good. Enforcing speed limits is good. Having cars do this more intelligently might be good if it works properly.

  4. why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why not save some dollars and make the car so that it can only perform up to 112 MPH?

    1. Re:why by bob4u2c · · Score: 3, Funny

      Just replace the speedometer with one that only goes up to 110, problem solved.

    2. Re:why by Cederic · · Score: 2, Informative

      Mainly because you want a lot of power for towing things and/or accelerating fast.

      The rate at which a car can get from 40-70mph directly impacts its safety when joining high speed roads, as well as allowing the use of speed to minimise other dangers (e.g. overtaking).

      This isn't something you can get around with gearing either, because you also want your top gear to run the engine at motorway speeds at low revs for fuel economy. So your top gear will support the vehicle travelling much faster.

      What this actually tells me is that Volvo want to save money on safety features, like high performance brakes and good tyres - things that matter at any speed. So fuck Volvo, I can buy from another manufacturer.

    3. Re:why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not driving i'm traveling.
      It's not a vehicle it's a vessel.

    4. Re: why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I can't get over that last sentence, limiting the speed to 112 means they're trying to save money on brakes and tires, so f them? Overreact much?

    5. Re:why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You are a fucking moron. A governor does not impede your ability to get to it. Grow up you idiot.

    6. Re:why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Mainly because you want a lot of power for towing things and/or accelerating fast.

      The rate at which a car can get from 40-70mph directly impacts its safety when joining high speed roads, as well as allowing the use of speed to minimise other dangers (e.g. overtaking).

      This isn't something you can get around with gearing either, because you also want your top gear to run the engine at motorway speeds at low revs for fuel economy. So your top gear will support the vehicle travelling much faster.

      What this actually tells me is that Volvo want to save money on safety features, like high performance brakes and good tyres - things that matter at any speed. So fuck Volvo, I can buy from another manufacturer.

      You're obviously not interested in efficiency, driving like a jackrabbit, so increased drag and overdriven top gear should work.

    7. Re:why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      What this actually tells me is that Volvo want to save money on safety features, like high performance brakes and good tyres - things that matter at any speed.

      I think it's disingenuous to think that way. No manufacturer can make a reasonably safe car if it crashes at 150 mph. Look at the accidents in Formula 1 and how they have changed the race tracks to reduce risks in the aftermath of Senna's death, for instance. If a (at the time) no cost limit sport like F1 can't save their 20 expert pilots from death, how can you expect that from a manufacturer that has cost limitations and that is facing an open road with different types of obstacles. The kinetic energy goes up with the square of speed. There's no way anyone is coming out alive of a Ford Focus crashing into a concrete barrier at top speed.

      I'm not saying I agree with Volvo's decision, but saying this is a cost saving measure is just looking for an escape goat...

    8. Re: why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That or they want to live up to their goal that nobody should die in a Volvo. That would be hard to implement for very high speeds.

    9. Re:why by LostMyAccount · · Score: 1

      Doesn't that get us basically back to where we were for a couple of decades? Other than a handful of muscle car models, most cars in the US struggled to do more than 120 mph on a flat straight road. Their tires and suspensions made it suicidal to do it anyway.

      It's only in the last maybe 20 years that widely available cars have had the basic horsepower and handling improvements to even make much over 100 MPH somewhat realistic.

      Basically I think a top performance capability of 112 MPH isn't totally unrealistic, but only if it doesn't make performance from 50 MPH to 80 MPH completely suck, and usually a maximum performance capability kills performance at much lower speeds.

      From an overall safety perspective, maybe they could retain the actual performance of a car capable of 140 MPH but drastically inhibit the ability to gain speed beyond about maybe 85 MPH. So you can get from 50 to 85 MPH easily, but going over 85 MPH is electronically limited to a rate of increase of 2 MPH per minute. You can get it up to 120 MPH from 85, but it takes 20 minutes.

    10. Re:why by Musical_Joe · · Score: 1

      There's no way anyone is coming out alive of a Ford Focus crashing into a concrete barrier at top speed.

      A head-on crash at 50mph into a concrete barrier can kill every occupant; on the other hand you can lose control at 155 and get out the car without a scratch. It very much depends on the specifics of the crash.

      Cost-saving could easily be a factor here. My car, although limited to 155, is designed to go plenty faster; current tyres are good for 168 but higher speed ones aren't that much more. As far as I know, the most noticeable thing that AMG do to it compared to the 'base' Mercedes (apart from whacking on a great big supercharger) is the brakes. The back ones are a touch more expensive than standard Mercedes ones. The front ones though... jeez. £3000 per side for new discs I'm reliably told.

      The difference between brakes designed for 112mph and 170mph is easily five times the price. Whether that's their MAIN reason for doing it, who knows? But there certainly will be cost savings if they only have to worry about stopping from a low (ish) speed...

    11. Re: why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This actually seems like a better solution. Limit the speedometer not the speed.

    12. Re:why by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      The rate at which a car can get from 40-70mph directly impacts its safety when joining high speed roads, as well as allowing the use of speed to minimise other dangers (e.g. overtaking).

      Or you could design roads properly so that even your 70 horsepower econo boxes can safety merge on to the highway. I mean my car accelerates like ball of silly putty slowly rolling down the road but I've never had an issue merging on a European highway at the correct speed. On the flip side the overpowered hire car I had in the states last time struggled to merge with the practical jokes you call "onramps".

    13. Re:why by Cederic · · Score: 1

      I've driven in the UK, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, the US and a few other countries. In none of them you want to merge into 70mph traffic while doing 40mph. The quicker you can reach the speeds at which other road users are going the safer you are for them and for you.

    14. Re:why by Cederic · · Score: 1

      There's a level of irony that you're calling me a moron then trying to justify it by making a claim I didn't deny, instead of understanding the context of my post and the point to which I was replying.

      Look in a mirror, stop and pause for a moment, do some self reflection.

    15. Re:why by Cederic · · Score: 1

      I drove around 300 miles at the weekend, most of it with my car's speed limiter set to the speed limit, gearbox at the highest gear that'll sensibly allow me to travel at that speed.

      If that's how jackrabbits drive then yes, I guess I did.

  5. Volvo drivers will never know. by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

    Even now, when Volvos (along with half the failed euro car brands) are just Fords, Volvo owners are _non-drivers_.

    --
    John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    1. Re:Volvo drivers will never know. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You mean lesbians amirite
       
      cap synonyms

    2. Re:Volvo drivers will never know. by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      You're thinking of Subaru.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    3. Re:Volvo drivers will never know. by jrumney · · Score: 1

      Volvos are not Fords. They are Geelys since 2010.

    4. Re:Volvo drivers will never know. by Truth_Quark · · Score: 1

      That's the ownership.

      But the design is still done in Sweeden.

    5. Re:Volvo drivers will never know. by jrumney · · Score: 1

      Last I checked, Ford was not doing its design in Sweden...

    6. Re:Volvo drivers will never know. by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      Pfft, yeah right, great bullshit advertising, the company is it's bloody owners end of story. Design my arse, they will design what ever the fuck their owners tell them to design, no matter how cheap and nasty it is.

      What they will do is bullshit trade on the brand, basically selling trust, not providing trust but burning it up selling junk under the brand of a company that built up a solid reputation, MAXIMUM PROFIT this quarter, of course the real outcome, golden parachutes for the executives when the company dies because their reputation was sold for profits and no one trust them any more.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    7. Re:Volvo drivers will never know. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not saying that you are wrong in the long run, but for now in the short run Volvo Cars development and testing as well as design choices are made in Gothenburg Sweden. But I am sure that Geely will take over more and more in the future.

    8. Re:Volvo drivers will never know. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The statement was that Volvo is.

      Last I checked Ford was not doing design at all.

    9. Re:Volvo drivers will never know. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Volvo's are minor segment motors and will likely fade into obsolescence.

    10. Re:Volvo drivers will never know. by Truth_Quark · · Score: 1

      Pfft, yeah right, great bullshit advertising, the company is it's bloody owners end of story.

      And the design is done where those bloody owners employ the design teams.

  6. Why would I buy this? by zippo01 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why would I buy something that comes with arbitrary limits? Maybe if I was a rental car company, business or government, but as an individual this would be a massive turn off. If I want to kill myself at 113 MPH, volvo shouldn't stop me.

    1. Re:Why would I buy this? by Stormwatch · · Score: 1

      Yes, 112mph is arbitrary. If 80mph is the legal limit, it should be locked to that.

    2. Re:Why would I buy this? by HornWumpus · · Score: 4, Informative

      Almost all cars are currently limited to 155. By a gentleman's agreement between the manufacturers and insurance companies.

      That makes some sense. Aero becomes critical at about 150. Those that care, can easily NOP that part of the ECU, when they hopefully install the airdam and spoiler.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    3. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Vovlos I've seen usually have the opposite problem. How about limiting them to not go below 55 on the freeway?

    4. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      agreed, if I'm going across a desert, I don't want speed to be limiting me.

    5. Re:Why would I buy this? by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      112mph is 180kph, the limit for Japanese cars.

    6. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I thought the 155mph limit was due to the tyres? I don't think the insurance companies would care since anyone doing 155mph is already an insurance nightmare. Can you even claim on your insurance if you're that far over the limit?

    7. Re:Why would I buy this? by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      How about just geofencing them off roads with over 25 mph speed limits.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    8. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How about you're a moron.

    9. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why would I buy something that comes with arbitrary limits? Maybe if I was a rental car company, business or government, but as an individual this would be a massive turn off. If I want to kill myself at 113 MPH, volvo shouldn't stop me.

      Care to explain to me why the hell you even care?

      I could understand your frustration if you were buying a Ferrari and found it speed-limited well below it's capabilities (I still drive a stick-shift muscle car, so I get it.), but you're getting this flustered over a fucking Volvo.

      The fact that you would even consider killing yourself with such a neutered piece of shit is amazing to me. There are better ways to die that won't leave your loved ones being forced to explain your pathetic actions. Don't do that to your family.

    10. Re:Why would I buy this? by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 3, Insightful

      If I want to kill myself at 113 MPH, volvo shouldn't stop me.

      This is on par with anti-vaxxer logic because it's not your road. Other people drive on it and if you run into them and die at top speed then you are likely to kill them too.

      When you can afford to have your own roads build then I'm sure Volvo will be willing to sell you a custom car for you to die in at the highest possible speed.

      --
      Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    11. Re:Why would I buy this? by ljw1004 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Why would I buy something that comes with arbitrary limits? Maybe if I was a rental car company, business or government, but as an individual this would be a massive turn off. If I want to kill myself at 113 MPH, volvo shouldn't stop me.

      Why should Volvo want you as a customer? If you buy your next car from a different manufacturer, then Volvo's safety stats will look even better than their competition, and they'll generate more sales from people who care about safety. (which is already their primary audience, I believe).

      Imagine I'm buying a car and I have a family. "Hmmm... Volvo cars have injury rate of X per 100k miles, and Ford cars have a higher injury rate of Y per 100k miles, so I know which one I'll buy." That will be a higher priority for me than the ability to go above 112mph.

    12. Re:Why would I buy this? by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

      and lose mad science buys that need 88mph

    13. Re: Why would I buy this? by Type44Q · · Score: 1

      Chill; he didn't didn't say where he'd [like to preserve the right to do] 113mph.

    14. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If I want to kill myself at 113 MPH, volvo shouldn't stop me.

      What should be stopped is when you kill *others* with your recklessness.

    15. Re:Why would I buy this? by whoever57 · · Score: 1

      Yes, 112mph is arbitrary. If 80mph is the legal limit, it should be locked to that.

      And if there is no speed limit, like parts of the German Autobahn system?

      I wonder if Volvo plans to make this limit GPS-aware, otherwise sales in German will drop to near zero.

      --
      The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
    16. Re:Why would I buy this? by gravewax · · Score: 2

      why would you care if you are in a country where speed limit is 80? If you are into track days or anything that involves speeds above 113 you aren't going to be buying a volvo in the first place. It isn't like you are buying a volvo for its speed, they aren't sportscars

    17. Re:Why would I buy this? by Truth_Quark · · Score: 2
      Volvo are implementing a "Saftey Vision" that "nobody will be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car by 2020."

      The automatic braking system can see so far ahead. Roads have a minimum skid resistance. A human body can take a certain acceleration. The two other factors is how the front end crumples and the speed of travel. It's not arbitrary.

      The reason that you'd buy something with that limit would be that you value being alive.

      If I want to kill myself at 113 MPH, volvo shouldn't stop me.

      This isn't Volvo's business model. You want a Kia.

    18. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      nearly all cars you buy come with "arbitrary" limits on speed, even most high end sports cars, they are just higher, usually around the 150mph. Obviously you walk or ride a pushbike instead if you don't buy a vehicle with an arbitrary limit. The reality is most consumer tyres are also usually rated to 180kph (113mph) so this limit makes sense.

    19. Re:Why would I buy this? by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      It's a little slower than most other cars, which are limited to 155mph.
      Why don't people use the proper units too?
      112mph is 180kph and 155mph is 250kph.

    20. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why would I buy something that comes with arbitrary limits? Maybe if I was a rental car company, business or government, but as an individual this would be a massive turn off. If I want to kill myself at 113 MPH, volvo shouldn't stop me.

      Because you end up killing someone else a lot of the time.

    21. Re:Why would I buy this? by tepples · · Score: 1

      Why don't people use the proper units too?

      Because roads in the country where Slashdot is headquartered don't use the proper units.

    22. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Definitely not the limit for my Honda S2000 which was Japanese.

    23. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you feel being limited in speed to 113mph in a "volvo" is limiting you I am afraid it is brains that is limiting you. While the engine may give that to you, the fuel consumption, high risk of tyres shredding and road issues make this a completely insane thing to do.

    24. Re:Why would I buy this? by subie · · Score: 0

      For the US, there are no speed limiters by law. However some manufacturers still have them because the cars are shipped overseas to the US but there are some dealers that offer their cars with the option to remove such limiters.

    25. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The argument against this isn't about wanting to drive 112 MPH. The argument against this is the slippery slope. Personally, I would like to be able to automatically limit my speed to say 15 MPH over the posted limit IF I choose to enable the feature. I don't want it to be mandated into the design of the car. Why 15 MPH? Yes, it is speeding but as others have mentioned, there are many situations where accelerating above the limit is the best (safest) option. The posted speed limit doesn't account for these situations. Many people assume slowing down is always the best answer but it just isn't. For example, most slow down into and then continue to slow through corners. What people should do is slow down before the curve and accelerate through the curve - the driver has better control and it is more efficient.

    26. Re:Why would I buy this? by subie · · Score: 0

      This is simply not true for US based cars.

    27. Re:Why would I buy this? by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      W and Z rated tires are rated well above 155.

      Once a wreck has happened, the insurance company is largely on the hook. Shouldn't have written a policy on that monstrosity.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    28. Re: Why would I buy this? by garcia · · Score: 1

      S60Rs/Polestar S60s most definitely are meant to be driven hard and fast.

    29. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yes it is. though most s2000's are modded after purchase. even the NSX comes limited (or it used too, though I think new model they removed that).

    30. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      actually it is true. It might not be true for most US manufactured cars, but most cars are imported and nearly all of them have speed limiters builtin nowadays as it doesn't make sense to remove them just for the US market, especially when they don't affect 99.99% of people, so unless you get them customised or pay extra for a model without them most modern cars on US roads have them, including many GM, Chrysler and Ford badged vehicles.

    31. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My '89 240SX had an electronic speed limiter that tripped at 112mph in 5th gear. Redline would have been 132.

    32. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      W is rated for upto 168 and Z for 150+. keep in mind though that is a brand new tyre in tiptop condition. I would not feel comfortable with either of those tyre ratings with off the rack tyres at or above 150mph.

    33. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not you we're worried about killing.

    34. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      lol enjoy ur huawei car

    35. Re:Why would I buy this? by Khyber · · Score: 1

      The NSX has always had over 200MPH top speed. It's literally pointless to own one that doesn't.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    36. Re:Why would I buy this? by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      Great, go buy a Darwin car instead.

    37. Re:Why would I buy this? by Khyber · · Score: 1

      What part of you ignored the word "desert" and somehow input the word "road"?

      You need it removed.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    38. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      LOL as a former owner of one you have no fucking clue. Even current models top out at 190mph and yes The JDM models and those shipped to many countries are indeed speed limited (I had mine removed and even after that it was about 160mph top speed).

    39. Re:Why would I buy this? by NormalVisual · · Score: 2

      Sure it is. Most U.S.-made vehicles are limited based on the OEM tire rating. My 2002 GMC Sierra is limited to 97 mph (Q-rated tires), and my old '99 Regal GS was limited to 112 (S-rated). Both vehicles have enough power to be able to exceed those speeds by a pretty large margin, and those speeds are a hard limit - you hit them and the fuel pump shuts off.

      --
      Please stand clear of the doors, por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas
    40. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I like to just drive at the posted speed (or even below if that's fine) and not slow down or accelerate in corners at all just drive at constant speed using the steering wheel and the throttle pedal.

    41. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      NO factory built off the shelf NSX has EVER had a top speed of greater than 200MPH. They have ranged between 160 and 190mph and have had limiters from the lowly 120mph to 155mph depending on market.

    42. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually for a supercar the NSX has always had a relatively low top speed (sub 200mph). You buy an NSX for its amazing handling and dynamics and acceleration. Its top speed given its price has always been on the low side.

    43. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They most likely do it to make the car cheaper. You can build a car that falls appart at 81 mph if you make sure it never goes faster than 80, right now the car has to survive whatever the engine is capable of putting out.

    44. Re:Why would I buy this? by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      You think you'd be able to drive at that speed when not on a road?

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    45. Re:Why would I buy this? by fgouget · · Score: 1

      Why would I buy something that comes with arbitrary limits?

      Because you respect the life of others and thus the speed limits so the restriction makes no material change to you?

    46. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not the limit for Japanese cars, but the limit for cars sold in Japan.

    47. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is driving at only 112 mph being "alive"?

    48. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Suck it.

    49. Re: Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, the 112mph limit doesn't apply to falling off a cliff so if he wants to kill himself that option is still viable.
      However, Volvo have aimed there brand at people who wants a safe car that isn't a death trap.

      Maybe a Ford would be more suitable for him.

    50. Re:Why would I buy this? by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Virtue signalling.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    51. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because my phone warns me against speed traps anyway and police patrols on the highway are nearly zero here.

    52. Re:Why would I buy this? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Japanese manufacturers have been doing this for decades and it doesn't seem to have hurt them. They have a gentlemen's agreement to limit their cars' top speed.

      For performance models some now have a system that disables the limit when you get to a racetrack.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    53. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why don't people use the proper units too?
      112mph is 180kph and 155mph is 250kph.

      kph is not a proper unit. Try km/h instead

    54. Re:Why would I buy this? by qubezz · · Score: 1

      112mph is 180kph. Also the speed rating on "S" tires. With a speed limit, you can outfit lower rated OEM tires and not be liable when someone kills themselves going faster.

    55. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >If I want to kill myself at 113 MPH, volvo shouldn't stop me.

      You are killing others. People all talk about personal responsibility, but when they drunk drive, drive stoned or overspeed and cause a collision killing pedestrians or the occupants of another vehicle, the first thing they always yell is:
      I'm not going to prison! Find me the slickiest attorney at law who saves my hide in court. Find and throw slime on the victims and their surviving relatives, find something, anything nasty, money doesn't matter. Even pledge me to Satan but I'm not going to prison!

      The americans are an especially dishonourable nation, not just their private citizens but also the guv'mint sphere. We europeans still remember how joyriding US Marines flew into a ski ropeway in Italy in 1996, sending the large cabin plunging to ground and killing 20. They burned the incriminating dashcam tape, Pentagon got them back to USA and had them acquitted by a sham jury. The russian secret services used that incident and the resulting huge popular uproar to turn Italy again and a few years later, when Putin came to power, his fur-hat clad, smiling 6ft photo was plastered across every wall in North Italy: Io sto con noi! Just to shield 4 cretins and their commander the USA effectively lost an ally - you say NATO and italians say for those murderers they wouldn't move the little finger, rather come the russians.

      Now, I hail from Hungary, once part of the arch-catholic Habsburg Empire. Here it was rule that if soldiers, esp. officers did the slightest wrong then shoot self in the head, no exceptions, no whining, not going to trial bringing shame to your family name. Even if it was for just spending the brigade's cash stash in a card game or falsifying checks. People were personally responsible for their actions and the jewish "chutzpah" influenced anglo-saxon legal system, which is meant to promote criminality and value perps over victims didn't exist.

    56. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      W and Z rated tires are rated well above 155.

      Yes, and 95% of passenger cars and trucks don't come with them.

      Yet another valid reason to limit top speeds to a reasonable number. Most idiots have no idea about tire ratings.

    57. Re:Why would I buy this? by synapse7 · · Score: 1

      What if I am driving on my own roads?

    58. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If this takes off, my guess is there will be a huge market for after-market ECM's that will replace the factory defined limits.

    59. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because most people cross deserts on roads?

    60. Re:Why would I buy this? by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1

      READING IS FUNDAMENTAL.

      When you can afford to have your own roads build then I'm sure Volvo will be willing to sell you a custom car for you to die in at the highest possible speed.

      --
      Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    61. Re:Why would I buy this? by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Actually if you wanted to kill yourself at 113mph Volvo would be the most likely to stop you. Do yourself a favour and decapitate yourself. Failing at committing suicide and leaving you a permanent half or full vegetable is a horrible situation to be in.

      https://www.autoevolution.com/... That's an Audi doing more than 113mph, and they aren't known for their safety ... unlike Volvo.

    62. Re:Why would I buy this? by mjwx · · Score: 1

      If I want to kill myself at 113 MPH, volvo shouldn't stop me.

      This is on par with anti-vaxxer logic because it's not your road.

      And that is "think of the children" logic.

      Whoever said it would be on a public road. It could easily be a private road or track?

      The real problem with trying to kill yourself by using a car is that 113 MPH is quite survivable, especially if you're wearing a crash helmet and HANS device like I do when going that fast on a track (and fire resistance race overalls).

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    63. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you can afford own road you can afford any other fast car for your suicide needs, no need to pick this one.

    64. Re:Why would I buy this? by Khyber · · Score: 1

      I do all the time across the Mojave. Plenty of hard flat spots to do so. Do you even get out of your house?

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    65. Re:Why would I buy this? by Khyber · · Score: 1

      LOL As a former gearhead that would race quarter-miles at Rivergate in Memphis all the time, you have no fucking clue.

      All you have to do is change your transmission gearing so you can have that sub-300 HP motor actually haul ass.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    66. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I see you aren't familiar with the concept of track days.

    67. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      arbitrary speed limits??? You drive on public roads right?

    68. Re:Why would I buy this? by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1

      And that is "think of the children" logic.

      Forget the children, I'm worried about idiots running into me.

      Whoever said it would be on a public road. It could easily be a private road or track?

      If only I had thought of that, oh wait, I did.

      When you can afford to have your own roads build then I'm sure Volvo will be willing to sell you a custom car for you to die in at the highest possible speed.

      you idiots needs to learn to read.

      --
      Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    69. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why would I buy something that comes with arbitrary limits?

      People put up with bullshit because:

      • They feel the other aspects of the product are "worth it." Some people like Volvos, or at least like that Volvos have the gimmick of being marketed on safety.
      • They don't truly value whatever they're giving up. I have a car that can go faster, but it really is damn rare that I go over 110mph. Even on open highways with great visibility, I rarely cruise faster than low 90s and only go over 100mph to pass. Sure, that's just me, but the point is that a lot of people's general habits are such that the limitation doesn't matter much to them.. except in principle. So people might not like it, but they buy it anyway because the principle isn't practical when you want a car. People say it matters, but then they hand over the money anyway, proving that it didn't really matter ot them.
      • People are very used to and acclimated buying things that have arbitrary limitations, or even work directly against the owner's interest. e.g. why couldn't Blu-Ray players output high-def to a monitor that doesn't support HDCP? No reason, but people still bought Blu-ray players anyway. I think you can't even buy a Tesla car without signing the Tesla purchase agreement, and that locks you into arbitrartion! Arbitration is both extremely weird, and also extremely common too, since you probably also have a weird contract with, for example, your bank.

      Bullshit starts in one part of the economy and spreads out to splatter shit all over everything. And now it's in our computers and cars. And people vote in favor of it, with their wallets. If you have a smartphone, I bet you have voted to have arbitrary limits too. Some day you won't get to select which hand your sex-monitoring chip is planted in, so enjoy that freedom for now

      Do you really think this is going to lower Volvo sales? Were you in the market for a Volvo anyway? It'll matter even less when it's two manufacturers who do this, and then there will be more.

    70. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Volvo's 'safety' software is the opposite of safe -- they should work on fixing their 'take control of your vehicle' nonsense first. XC40 is getting all these rave reviews, but it literally detects parked cars as hazards and will steer your car into the center line. Nothing like killing the driver to avoid a parked fucking car.

      In addition, they've got a suicide interface. It's basically an iPad you have to slide left and right to use. When driving, making swiping motions on a huge screen is idiotic.

      Volvo in general is complete shit.

    71. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The NSX has 270hp, it would take forever to get to 200 if it actually could reach it, which it can't.

    72. Re:Why would I buy this? by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      Japanese manufacturers have been doing this for decades and it doesn't seem to have hurt them.

      Well, of course. Once you get the time it takes to drive from one side of the country to the other down to a minute thirty, it makes no sense to be able to do it in a minute flat.

    73. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why don’t people use proper typography, too?

      It is 180 km/h and 250 km/h.

    74. Re: Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Chill; he didn't didn't say where he'd [like to preserve the right to do] 113mph.

      I think it's a pretty reasonable assumption that the OP does not own his own roads.

    75. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      95% of passenger cars and trucks can't go fast enough to need them. In America, Chevy trucks like the Colorado are capped at 98mph and damn near every non-Mustang Ford is 115mph. I know this, that's how I win most of my street races. My 2005 WRX is capped at 156mph.

    76. Re: Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In many countries, cars are required to have a warning sticker on the dashboard if the tyres have a lower top speed rating than the car's top speed. A car not meeting this requirement will fail inspection.

    77. Re:Why would I buy this? by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Yes actually, I just don't happen to live near any fat cunts.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    78. Re:Why would I buy this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm on the road. I have no problem on him doing 113 MPH when it's safe for everyone but him.
      Quit the government fascism..

  7. Maybe not First... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Volvo is believed to be the first carmaker to install the cap across its entire range."

    During it's independent operation form GM period Saturn capped all their cars at 120mph...

    1. Re:Maybe not First... by jrumney · · Score: 1

      Most Japanese manufacturers have long capped their cars at 180km/h (the same limit used here by Volvo).

    2. Re:Maybe not First... by ArchieBunker · · Score: 1

      What Saturn would you feel comfortable in driving in over 120 mph?

      --
      Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
    3. Re:Maybe not First... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Saturn Skye Redline, 2.0 L turbocharged direct injected, 260 hp in a 3100 lb roadster.

    4. Re: Maybe not First... by subie · · Score: 0

      My 02 wrx wagon was built in Japan and shipped to the states. I can promise you it goes way faster 112mph. After 250k, it's still as quick as ever and I'm not a lesbian but I play one on tv.

    5. Re:Maybe not First... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It can't be that long. My 2000 Honda still tops out around 190.

    6. Re: Maybe not First... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      3100lb "roadster"? That's heavier than a BMW 5 series! Roadsters are supposed to be light and maneuverable

    7. Re:Maybe not First... by _merlin · · Score: 1

      JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) models are capped, but export models often aren't. If you get a grey import JDM car you'll get the limit.

    8. Re:Maybe not First... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      jesus that is a tank not a roadster, how the fuck do they make a 2.0l Roadster so fucking heavy. Also given top speed in perfect conditions is only 140 I doubt many people ever get it near or above 120, it just isn't designed for it.

    9. Re: Maybe not First... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Japanese built wrx was electronically limited to 120mph for those shipping to the US. though plenty of modders removed that.

  8. WHAT. THE. FUCK. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Volvo you are not my mother!

    1. Re: WHAT. THE. FUCK. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Can confirm, I never fucked your Volvo.

  9. Is this news? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    My POS Chevy '00 model governor kicks in at 108 MPH. I assume most vehicles have this crap baked by now unless you go through the trouble of modding the computer.

    1. Re:Is this news? by subie · · Score: 0

      What kind of Chevy and are you in Europe or the US? There are no limiters on US cars because there isn't a requirement in place. Not too mention that I can tell you my 05 Silverado 2500 hd, 02 Aurora 3.5, 09 impreza 2.5GT and my 02 WRX wagon goes a lot more 112 mph.

    2. Re:Is this news? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There are limiters on lots of cars in the US. My Volvo was electronically limited to 155mph and my 90s Ranger was limited to under 110mph.

  10. They are free to limit, we are free to not buy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Insurance is free to lower your rates if you do buy!

  11. This is for tire ratings ... by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Volvo can put cheaper tires on their cars from the factory to avoid liability. 112 mph = 180km/h. I suspect this will be quietly removable with the proper scan software, same as many GM cars are.

    1. Re:This is for tire ratings ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A while back, 80's or 90's, one of the options on a Chevy Camaro included high performance tires. Cars sold without that option were electronically governed to something under 120 mph.

    2. Re:This is for tire ratings ... by _merlin · · Score: 1

      They were assuming you couldn't/wouldn't change the wheels, tyres, brakes, etc. yourself? That sounds pretty dumb for an "enthusiast" car. Was Apple somehow involved, or did this serve as inspiration for them? Definitely echoes of that in their soldered RAM and Flash storage.

    3. Re:This is for tire ratings ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well the brakes, wheels, etc don't change with top speed. However tires get
      worse *AND* more expensive with the higher top speeds. They have to be less flexible to ensure less heat build up. So generally a car will feel better with max speed 112 mph max tires than it will with 150 mph max. It will ride softer be better at lower temperatures, get better traction, and ride quieter.

      The question is, what will they design the car to drive at. If a car is designed to drive 150mph, it's generally going to feel pretty good at 110 Mph.. even with 112 mph max tires. If they design it for 110 mph, it's going to be scary as shit at 110 mph.

  12. Hopefully they'll put in an emissions limit too... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    nuff said

  13. For the fun of hacking it out by rsilvergun · · Score: 2

    seriously, it won't be that hard. If you're the kind of person who is willing to take a card up to 155 mph you hopefully know enough about the car to disable the feature.

    OTOH I'm not sure I'd want this in my car in case it screwed up and wouldn't let me accelerate. It's just one more thing to go wrong in my car. Still, I stopped being interested in Volvo when they stopped making non-interference engines and I had to worry about a busted drive belt taking my engine out the same as every other car...

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
    1. Re:For the fun of hacking it out by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you are willing to take a car up to 155mph (250km/h) and think that accelerating is going to offer your best path out of danger when something goes wrong at that speed, then I look forward to seeing your nomination to the Darwin awards soon.

    2. Re: For the fun of hacking it out by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Although rsilvergun is a fucking idiot normally, in this case it is you who failed basic reading comprehension. He said nothing of the sort.

      This is one of his two times a day he gets to be right. Tick tock.

  14. Horseshit! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Almost all cars are currently limited to 155. By a gentleman's agreement between the manufacturers and insurance companies.

    That's funny! Pulled that one out of your ass! To have a car go that fast takes a lot of engine and a great transmission and suspension - $$$$ expensive stuff.

    1. Re:Horseshit! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Almost all cars are currently limited to 155. By a gentleman's agreement between the manufacturers and insurance companies.

      That's funny! Pulled that one out of your ass! To have a car go that fast takes a lot of engine and a great transmission and suspension - $$$$ expensive stuff.

      Nope. All that is needed to go 155 mph is very good aerodynamics.

    2. Re:Horseshit! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A 2005 WRX STI goes 250 kph with 220Kw.

      You have no idea what you are talkign about

    3. Re:Horseshit! by HornWumpus · · Score: 2

      You don't turn wrenches. It's obvious.

      You do need a healthy engine. Any modern 'fast' car is capable. Vettes, Mustang GTs, EVOs, WRX Tis, Challengers etc. Even Italian and English trash come with big engines these days. Hell English cars are tuned to go maximum speed, faster than any road in england will let them. They use too tall a final drive gear IMHO.

      At about 150, the aero forces will start to lift most cars front wheels off the road. Why the limit is where it is. You fix that with downforce.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    4. Re:Horseshit! by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      You do need good power, a not broken transmission and good tires. To do it on other than a perfect road, you need good shocks.

      To go over 150 and not backflip the car, you need to work the aero.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    5. Re:Horseshit! by _merlin · · Score: 1

      Even pretty ordinary cars these days can go pretty fast in a straight line. I managed to hit the rev limiter in 5th gear in a 2004 Toyota Echo (aka Vitz) on a straight flat road, which happens at about 199km/h, with the 67kW 1.3L engine. I got to about 225km/h in a 2008 Toyota Corolla Levin (aka Auris) accelerating onto a freeway before I realised how fast I was going with the 100kW 2.2L engine. Technology is a lot better than it used to be.

    6. Re:Horseshit! by skegg · · Score: 1

      Sheesh !!

      Call me grandma, but the typical highway speed limit in Australia is 110km/h, and THAT makes me nervous.

    7. Re: Horseshit! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lol.....as if you'd trust an American car with anything over 100mph.

      The Brits and Germans have forgotten more about car making than the Americans will ever know.

    8. Re:Horseshit! by imrahilj · · Score: 1

      Hi Grandma! In my state, that's about where the speed limit is at (65 MPH), but normal speeds are more like 140 kph when traffic allows.

    9. Re:Horseshit! by Matheus · · Score: 1

      My old Subaru Outback (2008 2.5XT) got up to 143MPH when it lifted just enough to hop from 1 lane to another.. The tiny lil spoiler on the hatch was nowhere near enough. Gear/Rev wise there was still enough headroom to easily get into the 150s where it may or may not have rev limited. My current car (2011 Legacy 2.5GT), engine wise, can go in the high150-low160's (assuming no explicit limiting) but gotten nowhere near that.. she rides pretty comfortable in the 120's tho and has been in the 130s. Slightly better spoiler on this car but would still want a bigger one before going much faster than that.

      Heck my '89 Camry got up to 128mph loaded with people and gear.. (Remember when Montana had no speed limits? That was glorious..) No spoiler but the engine was done at that speed anyway so no worries there (and that car took so long to get to that speed it was rarely worth the trouble for anything but long distances)

    10. Re:Horseshit! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Can you get the fuck of public roads?

      My wife and children use them.
      Thanks.

    11. Re:Horseshit! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ok great. I don’t turn wrenches and didn’t know about aero (although I do have a private pilot licence).

      So can you have your little wank and wrap yourself around a powerpole on a private road or race track? Get the fuck off public roads, where normal peoplw are just trying to get from A to B and not get killed by boy racers.

      Thanks.

      No seriously, fuck off. Listen to your mum, behave yourself, and stop being a little twerp.

      If you be a bit more normal you might even get laid.

    12. Re:Horseshit! by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      You need a front air dam more than a bigger spoiler on the back.

      What you really need is a lower final drive gear. You're an American, tune for acceleration, not topout.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  15. Nothing new by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

    Japanese JDM cars are limited to 180kph too.

  16. Re:Volvo drivers are generally crap anyway by HornWumpus · · Score: 2

    Many/most have moved onto a pius.

    It was the diesel Volvos that had the very worst drivers of all.

    --
    John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  17. German here. Dear Americans ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ... please do not think German drivers only need to fulfil the same requirements, that people in the US need to before they are allowed on to drive on the roads.

    In Germany we have extensive schooling, many hours of practical training, and strict driving test that you are expected to fail at the slightest misstep. And it's *expensive*. You usually pay a couple of *thousand* bucks for the whole thing.
    On the streets, every driver *expects* you to drive properly. With far more rules. (Like not overtaking on the right lane.)

    And you see this. Everything flows far more elegantly. People are skilled and proud of it.

    Of course since alcohol is our national dish, you will still have morons driving drunk and messing up on weekend nights and the like. But they only need to be caught once, and their license is *gone*. (They have to take the "idiot test" to get it back. Which is not much better than starting from scratch, afaik.)

    That is why we don't have speed limits for about 50% of the highway (= Autobahn). We can handle it!

    (I recommend taking the additional lessons for avoiding crashes. You get to learn ice drifting and other cool maneuvers like a pro. Just in case.)

    I wish the US also had a culture of not expecting everyone to be a moron until they are. It feels lime that attitude is the main breeding ground for morons in the first place.

    1. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not driving i'm traveling.
      It's not a vehicle it's a vessel.
      I don't need a licence i'm not in a commercial capacity.

    2. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by jwhyche · · Score: 1

      I often wonder if we should remove all the warning labels and safety limits off everything for 2 years. How much would it improve the species? Just 2 short years.

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    3. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The other factor is that gas in Germany (and most of the world) is a lot more expensive than in the U.S.
      There are some Germans flying down the autobahn, but there are also a lot whose 3-cylinder economy cars that couldn't hit 180 km/h if they were going downhill.

    4. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      couldn't hit 180 km/h if they were going downhill.

      so Volvos

    5. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Come on. You can leave the Jews and gas and scat out of this.

      Germans took Ireland's favorite plant, mashed them and paired that with ground up mystery meat stuffed into animal instestines. Gonna need lots of butter and herbs to make that palatable. Then they took bland beer, poured it into huge mugs and gave them to these, women. Have you seen these women? No? OK. I'll go get you a picture.........

      ....OK I'm back. What was I saying? Oh, the Germans. Yeah, they're cool. You should see these chicks. Wow.

    6. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You would be gone, that's for sure.

    7. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by Kokuyo · · Score: 1

      I'm from Switzerland so I'm certainly not 100% sure about German OR US driving laws but I think a lot of what you've written is a bunch of wrong assumptions.

      The US has a higher death rate on roads. That is correct. It's a good 10 fatalities per 100k inhabitants per year. Yours is 4.7.

      However, Switzerland's is 2.6. Sweden's 2.8. Norway 2.2. Spain 3.7. The UK 2.9.

      So in the rest of Europe's eyes you're our United States. Both in terms of actual death rates on the road and in the way you cling to your traffic laws like they cling to their gun laws...

      So perhaps Ball flachhalten?

    8. Re: German here. Dear Americans ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thousands of dollars to get a license doesnâ(TM)t sound very fair to poor people.

    9. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You just picked arbitrary numbers. Poland has a speed limit, too, and is higher than Germany at 10.3. Germany being at half the EU average of 9.3.

      Only few of the casualties are people inside cars. The number of deaths depends more on what else is going on on the roads.

    10. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, I'm German and I'm with you on that. After driving in many other European countries (France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, UK, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland, and probably some others I'm forgetting), and seeing how much more relaxed the driving on the highways there is (city traffic in Italy or France is a whole other deal), I'm starting to support a speed limit on the autobahns (yeah, dear Americans, it's not one single road though the country, there are dozens of autobahns). It needn't be as low as 120 kph (75 mph), but idiots who drive 200 kph (125 mph) at night, overtaking you on the right or flashing you with their high beams, I could certainly live without them. I haven't made many friends with this proposal among my friends and colleagues.

    11. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      There is some evidence that the more safety features you add to a road the less care people drive with. Removing the centre partition in particular slows people down a lot, but also creates problems when there are insurance claims or badly parked vehicles.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    12. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can always take Option "B". Get your license in the US & then move to Germany. Seriously, they just gave me a Führerschein as a direct trade for my US one.

      I'm actually a bit afraid of trying for my Anhänger endorsement, just in case in doing so, I point out how terrible of an idea giving me a license was.

    13. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by CompMD · · Score: 1

      American here, living in Sweden.

      You're right on. I hold the EU equivalent of a CE-class license in the US, and have had it for almost 20 years. However, I was absolutely amazed at how much I had to do to get a regular AM/B class license in Sweden. It was a lot of hard work, a lot of studying, and a lot of money, but I feel like I am actually a better driver as a result, and I feel like the drivers around me on average are FAR safer than in the US.

    14. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How is this informative? Most european countries are like this, only germany has the autobahn and german drivers are not bad for sure, not compared to Paris drivers or god forbid driving in london, but German drivers tend to drive too fast, drive aggressively, and all have new cars. Germany is not a safe country to drive in unless you're german.

    15. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You don't seem to have realized that Volvo is doing this as a result of EU regulations, so if you're such amazing drivers then why is your own government capping your top speed?
      https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2019/02/27/all-new-cars-to-have-speed-limiters-fitted-rules-european-parliament/

    16. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by mythix · · Score: 1

      As a belgian I have none of these extensive trainings and I can come drive 200 in germany after a 30min drive from my house.

      An american can rent a car in germany and drive 250 without any extra training, in a foreign country, with rules and regulations he might not even be aware of.

    17. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      well they got it right with slavs at least. jews are actually productive.

    18. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      That is why we don't have speed limits for about 50% of the highway (= Autobahn). We can handle it!

      Sorry but no. You don't have speed limits for 50% of your highway for the same reason Americans carry guns: the public wants it. You're not immune from the laws of physics, those very laws which also show that the highway accident rate in Germany despite all your amazing schooling is nowhere near the best in the world, and at the same time still very much obeys the rule that a high speed differential is likely to increase the chance of an accident.

      Your fatalities are at an all time low. So are those of every developed nation, you're not better at that than most other countries with far lower driver training requirements. Your death rate is actually worse than that of the tailgating, cutting people off, impatient arsewipe drivers across the border (you know the yellow licenceplated vehicles I'm talking about). And really for how horrible the Dutch drivers are, FOR SHAME Germany! For shame!

      There's a push to enforce a 130km/h speed limit in Germany. Insurance companies already enforce a 150km/h liability limit. And despite all your amazing assertions of your abilities, the reality is most highways flow at around about the 130km/h mark with only a few crazy lunatics driving appreciably faster than about 150km/h.

    19. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ... please do not think German drivers only need to fulfil the same requirements, that people in the US need to before they are allowed on to drive on the roads.

      In Germany we have extensive schooling, many hours of practical training, and strict driving test that you are expected to fail at the slightest misstep. And it's *expensive*. You usually pay a couple of *thousand* bucks for the whole thing.

      In the US, we also have extensive schooling, many hours of practical training, and a strict driving test that you are expected to fail at the slightest misstep. Not sure why you think the US is any different than Germany.

    20. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Productive at wrecking nations.

    21. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by ArylAkamov · · Score: 1

      Are you pretending to be retarded?

    22. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do not generalise. Not all Americans condone those things.

    23. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      Fatalities per inhabitants is irrelevant. Relevant is fatalities per distance driven.
      And you hardly can compare Sweden or Switzerland with Germany. The structure of the roads, the weather, especially the winters are completely different. In Germany they either panic when they see snow and drive ridiculous slow, or they drive like maniacs, because they think it is better to be at home before it is dark ... or whatever.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    24. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      The worst drivers in Europe used to be Belgians. I rarely drive faster than 150km/h, but at night on an empty highway I sometimes do.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    25. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      The worst drivers in Europe used to be Belgians.

      What do you mean used to be, they still very much are ;-)

      Personally I don't drive faster than 150 because my car gets too loud when I do, but for a while last year when I was commuting between cities at 1am on a Sunday I would tear down the highway at 200 (little car didn't go any faster) while wearing earmuffs.

    26. Re:German here. Dear Americans ... by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      Yeah, for me it is the same reason not to drive to fast, the noise.

      Well, I'm not driving much, so I rarely meet Belgians in our times, but I will stay vigilant :D

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
  18. No big deal by fred911 · · Score: 1

    Volvo died in 99 when the were bastardized by Ford. Ford then sold their stepchild to the Chinese. A similar fate happened to Saab.

    --
    09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B - D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0 45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
  19. Re:Volvo drivers are generally crap anyway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Stop riding my arse, and I'll stop randomly braking. Signed - Subaru driver

  20. In excess of 120MPH by bob4u2c · · Score: 1

    I've seen a few of these in the humble VW Beetle: Do Not Open Windows at Speeds in Excess of 120 MPH

    1. Re:In excess of 120MPH by ArchieBunker · · Score: 1

      Short of free falling, how would you even go that fast? Those were rated at like 49 horsepower.

      --
      Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
    2. Re:In excess of 120MPH by bob4u2c · · Score: 1

      Not stock, but you can turbo charge one of those puppies up to over 500HP. http://www.oldbug.com/mscott55.htm

      Of course the sticker is a joke, which is the whole point.

    3. Re:In excess of 120MPH by jwhyche · · Score: 2

      Well learn something new every day. I never thought a VW Beetle could do a 120 MPH.

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    4. Re:In excess of 120MPH by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      You can get as many ponies out of a turbo bug motor as you want/need.

      It won't be cheap, durable, run on pump gas or be your best choice. But it's been done many many times. Ask one of the old guys at the track.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  21. Re:Volvo drivers are generally crap anyway by tsqr · · Score: 1

    Over a long period of time, I have noticed that Volvo and Subaru (except for WRX) drivers are the most inattentive and slow drivers around

    There must not be any Prius owners in your neck of the woods.

  22. I drive more carefully than you by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    I don't ride close to any car, I keep 3-4 car lengths (or lots more) depending on condition and speed.

    I simply wait until I can pass, even if that takes a while. Not very hard to do.

    One word of advice though, there are a lot of people who do not drive carefully so maybe stop driving your Slowbaru in the left lane when you are not passing anyone? After all, like the speed limit, that too is generally the law...

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:I drive more carefully than you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're what's wrong with the world. No doubt you frequently see people doing dumb shit to avoid being stuck behind you. You are, in effect, creating a danger to other road users.

      Of course, you'll make up some bullshit excuse like they're the ones being dangerous, but at some point, seeing so many other road users trying to avoid being stuck behind you, you need to accept you're in the minority of road users. You are the cause of the danger, not them.

      Get off the road if you're too afraid to drive on it like everyone else. Your lack of confidence is a danger to everyone, you have no place being on the road.

    2. Re:I drive more carefully than you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Slowaru?

      Subarus are fantastic rally cars, and they make the nearly impossible seem easy. You pick another make of vehicle to rally in if you purposefully want more challenge. Like a MINI. Or for the god-like drivers, a Yaris.

      I'll never forget the Alcan 5000 Winter Rally that included a bloody Yaris.

    3. Re: I drive more carefully than you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      3-4 car lengths, and let me guess, you do that at 50-70mph?

      You do realise that you should be leaving 1 car length per 10mph safe distance?

    4. Re:I drive more carefully than you by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

      I did exclude the WRX.

      But yes, EVERY Subaru wagon I have seen is slow as molasses and generally not a very competent driver (like very hesitant to change lanes, or really do anything).

      Personally for rallying my preference is a MINI still though...

      --
      "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    5. Re: I drive more carefully than you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      3-4 car lengths, and let me guess, you do that at 50-70mph?

      You do realise that you should be leaving 1 car length per 10mph safe distance?

      That rule of thumb was obsolete 45 years ago when I was in driver training class. The current guideline is to stay three seconds behind the car in front of you.

      At 60 mph you're travelling 88 feet per second, so a three second following distance translates into 264 feet. That's about two-and-a-half-times the 6 car lengths you recommend...

    6. Re: I drive more carefully than you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I drive a stretch limo you insensitive clod!

    7. Re: I drive more carefully than you by MadKeithV · · Score: 1

      Which is very difficult to do in any significant level of traffic because there always seems to be at least one idiot who gets into the gap. Flipside though, in very dense European traffic (think Belgian rush hour), "parking" yourself a safe distance behind a heavy lorry on the motorway slow lane is ridiculously calm driving, and ironically usually faster than the other two lanes where idiot drivers keep slowing each other down trying to overtake when there is *nowhere to go*.

      Plus you get the reduced drag effect to up your MPG to 60-70 in the right car.

  23. Saving lives? by bmomjian · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Maybe they can save lives by not selling cars at all. Have they tried that? Using their logic, seems it would be worth it.

    1. Re:Saving lives? by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

      What if somebody is being chased at 112 miles per hour by a psycho with a gun? Maybe a gang banger or a corrupt cop? Would it be worth uncapping the speed limit if it saves even one life?

      Or maybe this is the Chinese impulse to impose control from the top down. Which seems more likely?

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    2. Re:Saving lives? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What if you are being chased by a terrorist in a tank, surely if it would save even one life we should be able to have anti tank missiles equipped too our vehicles.

    3. Re:Saving lives? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, if psycho has the limited Volvo, it's a life saved right here.

    4. Re:Saving lives? by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Maybe they can save lives by not selling cars at all. Have they tried that? Using their logic, seems it would be worth it.

      Your equation ignored the utility of the motor vehicle. I find your suggestion inconvenient and unworkable. Were you trying to make a joke or does your brain actually work like that?

    5. Re:Saving lives? by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      What if somebody is being chased at 112 miles per hour by a psycho with a gun?

      In the United States of Germany? Remember they don't have a right to bear arms, they have a right to plant foot.

    6. Re:Saving lives? by bmomjian · · Score: 1

      He didn't talk about the utility of the vehicle, or the utility of going faster, so I am just using his logic.

    7. Re:Saving lives? by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      He didn't need to. The utility in his equation remained the same. You're the only one who has suggested any impact on the utility of the vehicle by suggesting it be removed completely.

    8. Re:Saving lives? by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      We actually have rights to wear arms. Or bear.
      And in Europe gun ownership is probably the highest in Germany.

      We don't have the right to carry them everywhere, for that you need an extra permit on top of the permit to own them.

      Yes, you need to acquire a weapon permit, but thats it ... and obey the rules coming with it, e.g.: weapon stored uncharged in a safe, separated from ammunition at another safe spot. Transport only in a closed compartment, only in your cars trunk and not in public transport etc. p.p.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    9. Re:Saving lives? by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Yes, you need to acquire a weapon permit

      You either have to get a permit or you have a right to have a gun. You can't have it both ways.

      I was trying to be funny with my post but I will point out to you: Guns aren't banned in Germany, but you don't have a "right" to own one like they do in the USA either.

    10. Re:Saving lives? by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      In the US it depends on states, in most states you need a permit, just as in Germany. And they distinguish between "open" and "concealed" (hidden) carrying.

      The difference basically is: the US has a "right" written in the constitution, Germany has not. The regulation is based on criminal laws in Germany.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    11. Re:Saving lives? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I know of a case that died precisely because, it is assumed, he did not want to exceed the speed limit and leave behind the idiot cager. The cager then proceeded to overtake and clip him. Except a clip on a motorcycle is Serious business, and the he died on the spot. All under the speed limit.

      This is similar to European "Intelligent" speed "assistance", where by intelligent it means they will not only monitor traffic signals but also your position, and by assistance it means it will force you to go at the speed they want you to, converting you into their servant driver. Obligatory in 3 years in Europe for all new cages.

      They even said they recommended it being initially switchable on/off to facilitate adoption. You can guess what will happen when its adopted.

  24. we'd not care about speed limits by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If speeding only killed the speeder.

  25. You're the world's most boring faggot Kendall by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You're a jobless Colorado Incel. Kill yourself, spare us your boring gayass proclamations. Nobody cares.

  26. where's the evidence? by Cederic · · Score: 2

    How many people have died in a Volvo while driving about 112mph?

    I'm not sure this will save any lives at all.

    1. Re:where's the evidence? by Kjella · · Score: 1

      Well, when I went to study in Germany we managed to push a very packed, under powered Volvo station wagon (4 guys + luggage) up to 200 km/h (125 mph) on the 20 km (10+ miles) of straight Autobahn past Frankfurt, just to see what was possible. I'm very glad we didn't have to find out how long it'd take to stop. Since then I've gone 135 mph in a BMW and 150 mph in a Mustang, but both those cars felt like they were actually made to drive at that speed at least on an almost empty, straight, dry three-lane road in daylight anyway. The other 99% of the time I'd be doing less than 112 mph...

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    2. Re:where's the evidence? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes! This. Please if you can Volvo... provide the statistics that show how many accidents happened above 112MPH vs 111 and under. Also provide information about how many lives were lost (include statistics) at 112+ vs 111- so we know how many could be saved. What? No evidence? Surely you jest!

      This is just another over-reach of some nameless agency and nameless commitee to impose laws that remove free will. Yes 112mph is fast but have you all heard of the phrase "death by a thousand paper cuts"? When will it be cut to 80mph... then 65...

      Right now smart vehicles are controlled by software and your ability to use your car is already well in the hands of corporations.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k-8IlbwvZw

    3. Re:where's the evidence? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      How many people have died in a Volvo while driving about 112mph?

      I'm not sure this will save any lives at all.

      Volvo's have pretty good safety ratings. It's the people they hit that it may save.

    4. Re:where's the evidence? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, at some point the brakes doesn't really matter and it is the tire traction that limits how fast you can stop.
      The thing that made the Volvo harder to stop in your case was more likely that is was heavier due to loading.

      This becomes very apparent in icy road conditions.
      The guy in his BMW X5 thinks he is the king of the road and that he can drive faster than anyone else.
      What he doesn't realize is that despite the 4 wheel drive he has the same shitty tires as everyone else and the brakes works the same way regardless of how many wheels you have drive on.
      That small Kia with a weight half of his can take curves much faster than him and doesn't require the same stopping distance.

      It isn't the cheap "crappy" cars that end up along the roadsides in winter.

    5. Re:where's the evidence? by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Plenty. There's lots of news stories of lunatics in Germany writing themselves and some other poor sod off doing 200+km/h down the autobahn.

      But really Volvo is out of place here. I don't think the unlimited autobahn is long for this world. There's a growing movement for introducing a 130km/h speed limit.

    6. Re:where's the evidence? by Phillip2 · · Score: 1

      Probably not many, and probably not it won't. Probably that is because Volvo is trying to put in place this kind of measure to avoid any actual legislation.

      So, is this a good idea? At 112mph, no I am pretty indifferent to it. At 70mph, for all cars, its a good idea. Geofencing would be better (assuming the technology works).

  27. Car freedom is done by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    From Tesla "unlocking" range post-purchase of a tesla due to what they deem "emergencies" to interconnected cars, to autonomous driving, car freedom is done; its only a matter of time until the state sets the speed you drive to work.

    1. Re:Car freedom is done by Cmdln+Daco · · Score: 1

      Only if you live in overcrowded areas of the country. Out here, there's not nearly as much supervision.

    2. Re:Car freedom is done by tepples · · Score: 1

      its only a matter of time until the state sets the speed you drive to work.

      That ship sailed in 1832.

  28. American here. Dear Germans... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Don't make assumptions about other countries. I also had to take extensive driver's ed classes, many hours of practical driving, and a strict driving test. And we have similar punishment for DUIs.

    I've been to Germany and the driving there wasn't any different.

    1. Re:American here. Dear Germans... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Don't make assumptions about other countries. I also had to take extensive driver's ed classes, many hours of practical driving, and a strict driving test. And we have similar punishment for DUIs.

      I've been to Germany and the driving there wasn't any different.

      I am neither German nor American, I have visited both many many times and enjoy both, But you are fucking kidding yourself if you think the average American rules and driving skill level is similar. road deaths per capita or per car or per mile driven (or any other measure you care to name) is nearly double that of Germany even with the much lower limits in the US.

    2. Re:American here. Dear Germans... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Road deaths per whatever is not a direct measure of driver skill unless all other factors are constant. The US is 27 times the size of Germany. Americans drive much longer distances and fatigue plays a major role in accidents.

    3. Re:American here. Dear Germans... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Road deaths per whatever is not a direct measure of driver skill unless all other factors are constant. The US is 27 times the size of Germany. Americans drive much longer distances and fatigue plays a major role in accidents.

      Learn to read moron. US also has a much higher death rate PER MILE DRIVEN.

    4. Re:American here. Dear Germans... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The average American only drives about 13,000 miles per year which is actually very similar to the average german at 12,000, this is also well below many other countries with much lower road death rates.

    5. Re:American here. Dear Germans... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So we have a death rate nearly double, drive on average similar distances but drive on average at much lower speeds but you still think its not a fair comparison and Americans are just as skilled. Seriously dude we have fucking god awful drivers here, we are towards the bottom of the developed world for death rates on our roads, if you can't see the difference when travelling around the world I would say you are part of the problem.

    6. Re: American here. Dear Germans... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Learn to comprehend, moron. Per miles driven does not reflect the length of the individual trip.

    7. Re: American here. Dear Germans... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Incorrect. The German statistic is km, not miles.

    8. Re: American here. Dear Germans... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Shit American cars probably has a lot to do with it too.

    9. Re:American here. Dear Germans... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Speak for yourself. And since you just admitted to being a "fucking god awful" driver, looks like you are the problem.

    10. Re:American here. Dear Germans... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Had to? Chose to, maybe.

      American here... I took no driver's ed classes. Taught by family. And the driving test was not hard at all.

      Also, does nobody posting right now not realize that their own car today probably has a speed limiter in it?

    11. Re:American here. Dear Germans... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Boy, I'd like to visit the America you're describing. In my area, you need a pulse and to not be blind, and you'll get a license. It shows on the roads. Turn signals and merging are advanced topics that no one bothers with. Get on the highway, get in the leftmost lane, and go slower than anyone else. At a box junction, pull in and block the cross traffic- no big deal. Depending on the region, pedestrians can be the reason everyone stops, or they can be entirely ignored.

      Or did I miss the point, and you weren't defending US drivers, so much as saying that other nations are like Germany?

    12. Re:American here. Dear Germans... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So according to your logic, splitting the US in a large number of smaller countries would greatly reduce traffic fatalities in what is currently the US.

    13. Re:American here. Dear Germans... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Florida doesn't count.

  29. Re:Volvo drivers are generally crap anyway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Over a long period of time, I have noticed that Volvo and Subaru (except for WRX) drivers are the most inattentive and slow drivers around

    There must not be any Prius owners in your neck of the woods.

    On tractor trailers. It's the trucks that are generally holding up highway traffic anywhere I've been (which is most of the US at this point).

  30. Re:Volvo drivers are generally crap anyway by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    There must not be any Prius owners in your neck of the woods.

    Honestly, they have not been nearly as bad as Subaru and Volvo drivers I have driven near.

    Although maybe that is because you don't see that many Prius drivers around these days... seems like that has been supplanted by other cars.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  31. Re: Volvo drivers are generally crap anyway by Type44Q · · Score: 1

    Here in Colorado, the least skilled and most inconsiderate by far are Range Rover drivers... and the ones with Florida plates (sadly there are more than a few) are the worst of all.

  32. You're the world's most boring faggot Kendall by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You're a jobless Colorado Incel. Kill yourself, spare us your boring gayass proclamations. Nobody cares.

  33. Just one life by Blame+The+Network · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The president was quoted " it's worth doing if we can even save one life." That's stupid.

    Well, once the limit is 112 mph, they'll realize that 100 mph is safer still, so on the basis one the "just one life" argument they'll drop the speed again.

    This logic cycle will repeat until the capped speed is one at which no life can possibly lost, including the life of drivers with severe health issues and frail pedestrians. They'll end up at a capped speed of under 10 mph. Better yet, let's not drive at all.

    .

    1. Re:Just one life by Solandri · · Score: 3, Interesting

      When Mount Saint Helens erupted in 1980, one of the survivors had been camping near the mountain, saw the eruption, and got into his car. He reported he was flooring it at 100 mph down the road ahead of the pyroclastic flow, and passed another car doing 75 mph. He survived. The couple in the 75 mph car died.

      So if your standard is saving a single life, then artificially limiting the top speed can cost lives too.

    2. Re:Just one life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Given the road there I would say they are lucky to have survived going at 100mph along it and betting that would have been near fatal in itself. The reality is there will always be fringe cases where it could have the opposite effect, though your sited case it would have had no effect as that was still well under the limit. The question really is how many lives are lost because of +113, I am betting it is many many more than those who were saved by freak 1 in a billion events where +113 would save them.

    3. Re:Just one life by sandmaninator · · Score: 5, Funny

      The Volvo will have rear-facing cameras for pyroclastic flow detection and in the event one is seen approaching the vehicle, the speed limiter is lifted.

    4. Re:Just one life by fgouget · · Score: 1

      Well, once the limit is 112 mph, they'll realize that 100 mph is safer still, so on the basis one the "just one life" argument they'll drop the speed again.

      This logic cycle will repeat

      The logic loop stops as soon as the cap becomes equal to the highest speed limit in the continent.

    5. Re:Just one life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So if your standard is saving a single life, then artificially limiting the top speed can cost lives too.

      Well, at that point it comes down to statistics.

      Save hundreds of lives every year by limiting top speed or save a single life every century by not limiting top speed.

      Also, your link doesn't back up your claim.
      If it is in one of the references, please link it. Otherwise I will assume it is a story you pulled out of your ass.

    6. Re:Just one life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Besides, there will certainly be at least one life lost due to insufficient speed (not fleeing from a disaster fast enough).

    7. Re:Just one life by djinn6 · · Score: 1

      Why would it stop? Just because 80 mph is the highest limit on the continent, doesn't mean they can't save another life by dropping it down to 79 mph. Heck, the logic applies all the way until it goes down to 0 mph, at which point you can't lower the limit anymore.

    8. Re:Just one life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      He was running at 100mph. Limit on volvo is 112mph.

      Sounds like he still would have been OK.

    9. Re:Just one life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thanks, that was the exact scenario I needed to put a turbo on the family minivan. 450hp, here I come!

    10. Re:Just one life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For every interesting life-saving story like that one there are thousands of other stories of people driving stupidly and dangerously well in excess of the speed limit. (For starters, look up the story on the top twenty highest speeding tickets in Texas in 2018.)

    11. Re:Just one life by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Well, once the limit is 112 mph, they'll realize that 100 mph is safer still, so on the basis one the "just one life" argument they'll drop the speed again.

      And they should keep dropping it until you reach the government standard speed limit. There's no reason you need a passenger car on a public road to do 100 mph, ever.

    12. Re:Just one life by dasunt · · Score: 3, Insightful

      When Mount Saint Helens erupted in 1980 [wikipedia.org], one of the survivors had been camping near the mountain, saw the eruption, and got into his car. He reported he was flooring it at 100 mph down the road ahead of the pyroclastic flow, and passed another car doing 75 mph. He survived. The couple in the 75 mph car died.

      This reminds me of the excuse people used to have about not wearing seatbelts because they didn't want to get trapped in a burning car.

      Technically, it could happen. It probably has happened in the past. But practically speaking, not wearing a seatbelt is far more dangerous than wearing a seatbelt.

    13. Re:Just one life by kalpol · · Score: 1

      As a note the highest speed limit in the US is actually 85 mph /137 km/h.

      --
      12:50 - press return.
    14. Re:Just one life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ... for differing values of "dangerous".

      There is a reason many medical professionals have DNRs and refuse heroic efforts: that crushed ribcage from the airbags and/or seatbelt is going to leave you in poor shape for a very long time.

    15. Re:Just one life by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      So if your standard is saving a single life, then artificially limiting the top speed can cost lives too.

      It would be a lot more productive to simply prohibit camping or even visiting an active volcanic area. Or a tsunami zone along the ocean. Or a potential hurricane/tornado area. Think of the children who would be saved if no children were anywhere close to Fukashima or any other coastal area.

    16. Re:Just one life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Cool story bro.

    17. Re:Just one life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When Mount Saint Helens erupted in 1980 [wikipedia.org], one of the survivors had been camping near the mountain, saw the eruption, and got into his car. He reported he was flooring it at 100 mph down the road ahead of the pyroclastic flow, and passed another car doing 75 mph. He survived. The couple in the 75 mph car died.

      And there was also that actor who used to be in movies about needing to go fast. He's dead now because his car went too fast. So it goes. Any single story can be used to prove something. Your story my prove you're an idiot.

      --XYZZY--

    18. Re:Just one life by Phillip2 · · Score: 1

      This is a really, really silly argument. In the UK, several thousand people a year die when a car driver hits them with their vehicle. Speed is a factor in 20 or 30% of those cases.

      You can find one counter example to most things. A single counter example is a strong argument in maths. Outside of this, it is a trivial anecdote.

    19. Re:Just one life by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      In the UK, several thousand people a year die when a car driver hits them with their vehicle.

      Well, the best answer is to find that guy and take away his car.

      Speed is a factor in 20 or 30% of those cases.

      Speed is obviously a factor in all of those cases. A car going 0 MPH kills nobody. At any other speed death is possible. Even at 1 MPH, if a car runs over your head you're dead.

      That points out how specious the "if it saves even one life" argument actually is. Applied rigorously it means banning planes, trains and automobiles. Bicycles, roller skates, skate boards, surf boards; all banned. Food, water, air, all gone. Each of those things, at some point, has cost someone their life. (And you must be an anti-vaxxer, since certainly some vaccine has cost someone their life, so if saving even one life is justification ...)

      Life is a risk. Everyone dies. Some die sooner than others. I'm sorry, but that's, well, life. Everything we do has some risk involved, either to oneself or to others.

  34. Lies. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The phrase,

    We want to start a conversation about ...

    is code for

    We have determined that the morally correct stance is as follows, and your opinion does not matter. We have fully made up our minds and will not entertain other opinions. If you disagree, you are wrong.

  35. Popemobile by tepples · · Score: 1

    Many/most have moved onto a pius.

    Let me guess: a Pius for Catholics and a Nissan 14 for Jehovah's Witnesses.

  36. Destination lane positioning by tepples · · Score: 1

    maybe stop driving your Slowbaru in the left lane when you are not passing anyone? After all, like the speed limit, that too is generally the law

    In the USA, it's also the law that road users preparing to turn left should use the left lane, even if the vehicle is limited to 15 mph (24 km/h) because it's a bicycle. I imagine it's the same in other countries that drive on the right, such as mainland European countries.

    1. Re:Destination lane positioning by PrimaryConsult · · Score: 1

      Roads like that it is understood that the left lane isn't an overtaking lane (unless there is also a center turn lane), just two lanes going the same direction where one or the other may be slowed down by turning traffic.

      For limited access divided highways, in many (but not all states), "keep right except to pass" is a law. In NY on the Thruway the signs are in the exact same font, size and style as the speed limit sign, suggesting equal weight should be given to the two.

  37. Speed limits = hurt fee fees by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    For a long time I didn't understand why speed limits were a thing. Why should the government be able to tell me I can't drive however fast I want if I'm not hurting anybody? Then I realized cops and government officials are huge pussies who piss themselves anytime they see somebody driving faster than their grandmas. They literally see people driving at reasonable speeds and feel like they have small dicks. At the end of the day, this is the only explanation that makes sense. Cops are pussies with tiny dicks.

    1. Re: Speed limits = hurt fee fees by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Probably not too bright, either, or they wouldn't get jobs getting shot full of holes for shitty working-class pay.

    2. Re: Speed limits = hurt fee fees by speedlaw · · Score: 1

      Clearly you haven't seen cop pay in my area, plus benefits, plus retirement. Working Class my ass.

    3. Re: Speed limits = hurt fee fees by ennis99 · · Score: 1

      I think it's a good idea to reduce the number of accidents and save several lives. https://tweakbox.mobi/ https://getappvalley.com/ https://tutuappx.com/

  38. meh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    makes sense. if you're the sort of person who's going to be driving more than 112 mph, you're the sort who's gonna be driving something other than a volvo.

    in all seriousness, i've never driven that fast in my life in a regular run of the mill car like a volvo.

  39. Why? by spinitch · · Score: 2

    Because we share roads. One bad driver can do a lot of damage. Volvo targets safety conscious customers. This is a very modest gesture , more likely done to spur debate on safety. How many people have ever had the chance or desire to even go that fast? I have no idea but sampling my friends and family none of us. Again main point is to bring safety attention discussion. Speeders - who get caught, go to driver safety classes and watch shocking videos of true events as a reminder. I would like more drive recorders and sharing tech. Auto pilots still a ways off but assisted driving can evolve and improve safety.

  40. Why not just put a smaller engine? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Derp....2 cylinder 1 litre won't get to 112mph

  41. That will make these epic fails in car reviews by Kernel+Kurtz · · Score: 1

    https://www.volvocars.com/en-e...

    Born on the racing circuits of Sweden !

  42. Soon... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I can't drive, 55

    unless I pay the e-toll, pay my taxes, or hack my ECU...

  43. Crash, not accident. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They are trying to prevent crashes, not accidents.

    An accident is "an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury.". If a crash takes place at such a speed that a 112 mph governor would make a difference, there is absolutely no chance it was unexpected or unintentional.

    https://www.crashnotaccident.com/

  44. Nothing new by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is nothing new. My 1990 Oldsmobile Calais International with the Quad4 was governed at about 110. I unplugged the speedo and really never found the limit... Tach just kept going up.

  45. Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by Nocturrne · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Seriously, how many people have even driven a car over 112mph, and if so, why? Unless you live in a very remote place with very low population, the chance of traffic being light enough to even exceed the normal speed limit is pretty low.

    1. Re:Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Consider the following:
      If you sell a car that can drive 150mph, you have to design and build a car that can handle the stresses of driving 150mph.

      So if you scale back the speed the car can travel, you also scale back the stresses the car will be forced to handle. If you're following along with me...

      I think the reason Volvo is doing this, isn't to "save lives", but actually just to reduce manufacturing costs and cut corners on the manufacturing quality of their cars while selling it to the public as a "life saving measure".

    2. Re:Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In Germany, where it starts to become dangerous to drive as slow as 112 mph on the autobann.

    3. Re:Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 0

      It's a regular occurrence in Germany, where the autobhan has no speed limit in many places.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    4. Re:Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm from the Netherlands, we have perfect asphalt on the highway. When I drive home from a party in the middle of the night I usually drive 200-250km/h. With a car that's made for it that is a safe speed. Similar to driving on the autobahn. You can cover half the country in an hour.

    5. Re:Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by djinn6 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      "You don't need it, therefore you shouldn't have it" is the most authoritarian argument I've ever heard. By that logic, you can ban just about anything.

      TV? Banned. Go spend that time being productive.

      Meat? Banned. Eat rice and beans.

      Sex? For procreation only.

    6. Re:Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Move to Germany. Top speed was actually a spec I paid attention to when we bought our last car. Thought process was that it had to be at least 220kph, so that it could comfortably cruise along at 180kph

      On the highway outside of the main cities, 160kph is pretty average & 180kph (112mph) is only slightly fast. When the speed limit drops to 130kph I find myself getting annoyed.

      On some stretches 200kph+ is quite OK. Of course, there is traffic in many places too, in which case, a 100kph average may be optimistic.

    7. Re:Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by fufufang · · Score: 1

      Seriously, how many people have even driven a car over 112mph, and if so, why? Unless you live in a very remote place with very low population, the chance of traffic being light enough to even exceed the normal speed limit is pretty low.

      Also if you are into driving at high speed, do remember that remote places with low population don't tend to have good roads. At least that's what it is like in the UK.

    8. Re:Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If watching TV too loudly could kill you and cause your neighbors heads to explode once in a blue moon... you're damn right there would be limitrs on volume on TV.

      We HEAVILY regulate who can sell what meat, when, how and for how long. We DO NOT regulate vehicle movement the same way.

      Sex? Sex is illegal except between two consenting adults (dependingon jurisdiction). You can't go have sex with a tree in a public park. You can't show sex on TV. You can't have sex with a piece of meat at a grocery store (although you can fuck a tree and record yourself in your own home).

      You can't drive 120MPH on public roads. You can tinker with your limiter and race your car but you should not be allowed to drive that modified death-trap car next to me on the highway. I say death trap because anyone who removes a limiter to go bloody 120MPH on a highway is pointing a gun at everyones head around them.

    9. Re:Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The UK has very distinct weather and terrain from, you know *continents*.

    10. Re:Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Yep I have a few times. In a Mercedes though not a Volvo. Also chances are what you make of them. There are a lot of very empty autobahns outside of peakhour.

    11. Re:Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by scamper_22 · · Score: 1

      This is absolutely true. On the one hand, people like what they like and more power to them.

      I know for myself, I like a more performance oriented car. No justification for it. It's just fun and I enjoy it. Yes, it is even a stick shift, which no doubt probably shifts slower than modern automatics.

      I bought my car a while ago (Wrx). My wife and I both work and we do well now. She genuinely wonders why I don't get 'upgrade' to the STI or even a more powerful car like a porsche or BMW.

      While, I could definitely see upgrading for refinement/status reasons, performance is just not a reason. As you say, it's rare I can even push my car to higher speeds on regular roads. But even taking it to the track, which I do on occasion, it is still plenty of power and speed for someone like me to drive and enjoy. I also don't want to wreck my car, and you start pushing those higher speeds, you have a reasonable chance to lose control. Tires only grip so much.

      But even just acceleration wise and this is going to sound funny. You get to higher HP and it actually starts being less fun to drive for me. I've driven in some nicer BMWs and yeah, they're amazing. But here's the thing, you just tap the gas and bam, you're at 100 kph. It's actually kind of too powerful. There's no fun in getting up to 100. You're already there. It's like 1 sec on acceleration fun, and then done.

      I've found my sweet spot, and I'd say for me, maxing out at like 300-350 HP and around a 4-5 second 0-60 time is perfect for daily driving. I really don't want any more. Again, I don't fault anyone who wants more. More power to you. I'll gladly enjoy driving your car once in a while :P But that's just my experience.

      But it is something to think about. Chasing HP and speed often isn't even more fun and enjoyable. Sure, if you're in the race scene or something, do you. But that category of driver is already going to mod their car and remove any restrictions, like governer chips.

      I think it's perfectly fair and quite frankly many of the new safety features are great. My car has rear/side vehicle detection, and it's fantastic. It just beeps because it can't control automatically; I think due to it being manual. These are just great safety features for 99% of use cases.

      I asked a few tuners what they're doing with electric cars and if they fear loss of business that have more computers in them. They're on it, learning to mod them just the same. Apparently Teslas are pretty moddable from what they say.

      So I don't see much changing. As long as the cars remain moddable (practically and legally), those who want to mess with their cars will. Yeah, you also might lose your warranty, but that's the trade off you make for wanting to drive off spec.

    12. Re:Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


      Seriously, how many people have even driven a car over 112mph, and if so, why?

      I got up to around this speed when I drove on the Autobahn about a decade ago. It was fine. In retrospect, I shouldn't have rented the economy model because it was hard to get up to this speed.

      Accidents are caused by differences in speed between vehicles, not in absolute speed to the ground. 112 MPH didn't really feel all that fast when other people were going 90.

    13. Re:Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I live in South Dakota. Flat, open spaces everywhere. 100+ MPH is pretty common for the sport car and motorcycle guys out in farmland where you can see for miles in any direction. Not all of us live in densely packed urban centers.

    14. Re:Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nobody's banning it, just like nobody is banning Volvo from setting their speed limiter as they choose. Or do you want government made cars now?

    15. Re:Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Have you ever driven around a major city? Average traffic flow is often at 20 or 30 mph over the speed limit.

    16. Re:Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      Unless you live in a very remote place with very low population, the chance of traffic being light enough to even exceed the normal speed limit is pretty low.

      When everyone on the highway is going over the posted speed limit, it's not "traffic being light" that causes it, nor does it require "a very remote place".

    17. Re:Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How about: "It's already illegal. You never had it in the first place." as an argument?

    18. Re: Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      112 mph is around 180. That is a pretty normal speed on quiet Autobahns.

    19. Re:Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by Gamasta · · Score: 1

      I live in Germany and I have (130mph tops).

      It was a company car and I wanted to try it out and save some time. Autobahn was free, so I figured what the heck. Turns out I was accelerating and breaking all the time, had people I had overtaken (who were driving at 80 mph) back on my tail because of a truck overtaking and so on.

      In the end, fuel consumption was a noticeably higher, driving required more attention and there was no time gain to speak of.

      --
      reason defies logic
    20. Re:Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've hit about 130 mph. in a Firebird Formula on the straight at Road America. Why? Because I wanted to see if I could hit the speed limiter. I've also done that on I-55 on a sunny day with no traffic for the same reason.

      I haven't gone that fast in my Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart (AWD w/ turbo), but it's quite easy to hit 110 mph. Once you're at about 80 the turbo keeps pushing and you just have to keep your foot down. You don't need that much room, a quarter mile is sufficient given left lane traffic is doing about 70.

    21. Re:Have you ever driven a car at 155mph? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you're absolutely right.

      We should unban everything. Murder, child porn, rape, ...
      http://www.softschools.com/examples/grammar/slippery_slope_examples/391/

      Also for your information, going at that speed, is already "banned" or illegal in most places in the world. Never mind going over it.

  46. Re:Volvo drivers are generally crap anyway by PrimaryConsult · · Score: 1

    The only time I ever witnessed an accident it was caused by an oblivious Subaru driver. Subaru had been weaving in and out of traffic randomly and getting very close to sideswiping other cars, so I dutifully sped past him until he disappeared in my rearview. Figured if he caused an accident at least it would be behind me, but a few minutes later he came from out of nowhere going ~75, passed me on the entrance lane to the right and plowed into a slower car (going maybe ~60MPH) like it wasn't even there. Then had the nerve to sue the driver he hit. I'm glad I stuck around to give my account and info to the cops, because a year later his lawyer called asking for details about the wreck. Subaru driver claimed the other car brake checked him. When I mentioned neither car had hit their brakes, he dropped Subaru douche like a hot potato.

  47. LMAO...yeah right by p51d007 · · Score: 2

    My car is limited at 114mph, but I've seen a TON of software chips that would unlock it. This will be the same. The factory cars will be locked, but they can be "cracked". The fastest I've ever driven, was when I was a dumb kid...120mph in my 69 Galaxie fastback, with the 490 4bbl carb. Young and dumb. Now, even on the interstate, I rarely go over 75.

    1. Re:LMAO...yeah right by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      In Europe if you modify your car in almost any way it increases your insurance. If it's a performance mod your insurance will shoot up. Insurance is mandatory. If you don't tell them it is invalidated, you broke the law and you will liable for any costs and will find it extremely expensive to get insurance in the future.

      So there is a very strong incentive not to modify the performance of your car.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    2. Re:LMAO...yeah right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The fastest I drove as as a kid.. I had a 1975 Gran Torino with a 460 intercepter, 4bbl with Holley double pumper. I got a speeding ticket for 126mph.. on the interstate. I had to take driver retraining classes that showed pictures of high speed accidents...fees and tickets cost me $1k. I was 18 years old at the time.
      Now I drive a Wrangler. geared low.

  48. Re: really? Why should Tesla or Uber be allowed? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If a human driver, voter, citizen is not allowed because fuck-you-you-are-a-child-and-ward-of-the-state-and-a-risk-to-is-all!!!! then why do we allow these crazy ass buggy as fuck faux automated cars on the road to kill people?

    I would support Volvo playing EU nanny weenie if they implemented a device that would short out the computers of all nearby faux-self-driving cars, too.

  49. Old SAAB joke by speedlaw · · Score: 1

    In Sweden, they make two cars. One for the left lane (the SAAB) and one for the right lane (Volvo). Some things don't change !

    1. Re:Old SAAB joke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      SAAB has been out of business since 2012 (I think).

  50. One Life by markdavis · · Score: 1

    >"While a speed limitation is not a cure-all, it's worth doing if we can even save one life."

    Seriously? That is such a lame thing to say. What if lowering it to 80MPH would save 100 lives? Is that now even better? What if muting the stereo system during motion saves a life? Disable it? What if cruise control disabling could save a life? What if having the horn automatically beep every 10 seconds could save a life? Remove all cupholders- drinking beverages while driving could be dangerous. Make sunroof un-openable, since a rock or meteor could come in a kill an occupant? Mandatory breathalyzer installation? Refuse to start if seatbelt is not fastened? Phone-home if cornering a bit too hard? Auto shutdown if it detects only one hand on steering wheel instead of two hands?

    1. Re:One Life by djinn6 · · Score: 1

      Better yet, just don't include an engine or wheels. Can't kill anyone if it can't move.

  51. Non Issue in the USA by meniah · · Score: 1

    Most US drivers who buy Volvos will be non-plussed by this limitation. Volvo markets to the safety conscious in the Freedom States, and this commitment aligns with their shared values for promoting safer vehicles. In practical terms, drivers who live in cities and municipalities with strict speed limits and heavy enforcement (i.e. cash strapped towns in the USA with smallish police forces) will likely not find this limit to be anything to even balk at. They're already driving slow to avoid a speeding ticket - getting caught running 112 mph would land them in a dingy city lockup overnight. Try talking your way out of that one to the judge in Nowhere-Ville USA that counts on 60% of it's revenue coming from fines levied on moving violations.

    The highest posted speed limit in the country is 85 mph (137 km/h) and can be found only on the Texas State Highway 130 between Austin and Seguin. You can bomb down the 130 in your 2020 Volvo S60 capped at 112mph and still get a speeding ticket that lands you in lockup and bail set.

    You're more likely to flinch at a tumbleweed, swerve, and end up dead as your $50k speed limited luxury sedan careens off the road, rolls a dozen times in every axis, and finally lands upside down in the middle of nowhere. The sheer inertia will snap your neck.

    --
    Parmasean Cheese. It's what's for dinner.
  52. YOU ARE THE WORLD'S BIGGEST FAGGOT KENDALL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    YOU ARE THE WORLD'S BIGGEST FAGGOT KENDALL

    Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.

  53. Most cars already have speed limiters by drhamad · · Score: 1

    The only news here is that they're doing it across the entire lineup... but even that's not shocking, since it isn't like they have a serious sports car in their lineup. Many, many typical cars are already limited by the manufacturers. For instance, Mazda limits them at 118 mph.

    --
    -Daniel
    1. Re: Most cars already have speed limiters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've driven faster than 175 km/h in a Mazda 6. There is no limiter, or at least not that low.

  54. What a coincidence... by Hallux-F-Sinister · · Score: 1

    I am to impose a 112 dollar spending limit on anything Volvo sells.

    --
    Our reign has gone on long enough. Indeed. Summon the meteors.
  55. Bad precedent; police and governments will love it by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

    Police and governments all over the world will love this; soon enough they'll quietly start making it law that no car be capable of exceeding some arbitrary speed.
    Of course police will go as fast as they like, so no one will be able to outrun police. Or so they think.
    When speeds over 112mph are outlawed, only outlaws will be able to drive over 112mph
    Same as with gun control. Criminals will not care and will modify their vehicles to drive as fast as they like, so they can outrun police.
    This also means you, the law-abiding citizen, will not be able to outrun criminals, either. What could POSSIBLY go wrong?

    Bad precedent. I sure hope there's enough outrage from Volvo owners that they reverse course on this.

  56. BMW was first by jeti · · Score: 2

    German car makers have been doing this since the nineties. BMW was the first to limit their cars to 250km/h (155mp/h). Mercedes, Audi and all the other brands followed voluntarily. Even for motorcycles, there is an international gentlemens agreement. While they are not limited, the maximum speed is only given as 300+ km/h for any bike that could exceed that speed.

    1. Re:BMW was first by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That limit is only on the mid-range models. The top-end models (M5, M6, etc) are derestricted from the factory (but advertised otherwise).

      It's just marketing.

    2. Re:BMW was first by mjwx · · Score: 1

      German car makers have been doing this since the nineties. BMW was the first to limit their cars to 250km/h (155mp/h). Mercedes, Audi and all the other brands followed voluntarily. Even for motorcycles, there is an international gentlemens agreement. While they are not limited, the maximum speed is only given as 300+ km/h for any bike that could exceed that speed.

      Its relatively easy to get that limited removed on German cars though.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  57. How about by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Volvo stops being fucking idiots and make blinkers standard on each of their car with a easy way to use them. God damn Volvos.

  58. You insensitive clods! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What am i going to do with my flux capacitor now?

  59. Is that why James May ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    drove a Volvo and looked like a lesbian for all of Top Gear?

  60. 155mph limit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I am more a fan of the 250kph limit set by German manufacturers. When my grandfather was in hospital I was able to say goodbye just in time because my BMW could do 250kph. The 50 kilometer trip took about 15 minutes. With a 180kph limit that would be a 20 minute trip and I would've missed it.

  61. ECU by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Depending on where the governor is placed, a simple ECU mod (or whatever else is used like EFI limiter and someone figures it out), that 112mph limit would be easily removed. This is more a feel good initiative and shouldn't be given any more attention than thus.

  62. Actually, they do. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Their license is not worth anything to us.
    If the wanna drive on German roads, they need to get a german driver's license. With all of the aforementioned.
    I've seen it happen. Kid from Afghanistan... he's now a better driver than you will ever be. Or else he'll have lost his license soon. (He discovered alcohol too. And soon after that, our delicious pork. Which means the religious fundamentalism is pretty much dead in the water. Now he only has to learn to control his hornyness, and that German women are quite strong. :)

    Why do morons always think our own culture is so weak, and so shitty that foreigners won't adopt it, but ovrrrule it? Do *you* feel so inferior and helpless, or what?

  63. Your countrymen lied to me then? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I was told this *by* Americans living in Germany. Also just because you were a tourist, doesn't mean you noticed the differences or had to take the proper test. (Maybe your US state is different. I think there are one or two where you don't need to re-take the test because they are "close enough".)

    So you can blame that one on yourselves. After creating all those dictators and terrorist groups, you should be used to that by now. ;)

  64. Why not 20mph? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Imagine the lives that could bee saved then! Does this mean Volvo does not care about the lives of their customers and their children?

  65. Liar liar, pants on fire. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Riiight. Every single European reading this is currently laughing at you.

    Shouldn't have gone with the comparison to Italians. You only know Europe from TV.

  66. It's Not About Safety by EmagGeek · · Score: 1

    This has nothing to do with safety. This is about reducing cost of the cars.

    By limiting the top speed to 112MPH, they can put cheaper S-rated tires on them at the factory without worry of being sued when people exceed the speed rating of the tires.

    It just so happens that the speed limit for S-rated tires is, you guessed it, 112MPH.

  67. Re:Volvo drivers are generally crap anyway by turp182 · · Score: 1

    I'd recommend getting a dash cam. Awesome fun busting commercial vehicles running stop signs or other stupid drivers. I just put the videos on YouTube forever and email the company and/or police.

    Dashcam to the rescue: I had someone call the police to my office once, claiming I banged his car with my car door. I offered to get my dash cam and laptop so we could review my driving for the day (I was never on the same parking level as his car). The cop wasn't happy...

    --
    BlameBillCosby.com
  68. There is one way to defeat the 112mph limit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Push it off a cliff.

  69. Re:Why would I buy another one of these? by Cajun+Hell · · Score: 1

    Why would I buy something that comes with arbitrary limits?

    I think one of the more popular reasons people give for buying equipment that enforces DRM is that people want the TV shows, the movies and of course all the popular games and apps. Maybe that is why you'll buy yet another one of these types of things: because it'll match your phone and your streaming entertainment service.

    --
    "Believe me!" -- Donald Trump
  70. here we go by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's not Volvo's vehicle, not their problem, nor their burden.

    You're telling customers you think they should only be able to do certain things based on your own idea if what they should do.

    This isn't how we want to world to work, doesn't matter if it seems benevolent on the surface, corporate morals are a thing for peasant control, nothing more

  71. Speed limits aren't the reason. by mjwx · · Score: 1

    Honestly, it's hard to argue against it when it's 32 mph faster than the highest posted limit in the countries the car is sold in.

    What people haven't noticed is that this is the same time as all of Volvo's models are going electric. Most electric cars are incapable of going much over 100 MPH. Even a Model 3 tops out at 155 MPH... which is what my M240i (3L turbo petrol) is limited to (170+ MPH sans limiter) however Volvo will be making large FWD SUV's and Saloon cars, not performance cars. I doubt many of them will be capable of reaching 100 MPH, let alone 112.

    Besides, the type of driver who gets a Volvo is not going to want to do much more than about 40. VOLVO stands for "Very Obstructive Low Velocity Object".

    --
    Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    1. Re:Speed limits aren't the reason. by Mr.+Droopy+Drawers · · Score: 1

      Note, the max speed limit in Texas is currently 85 MPH. That's 27 MPH more.

      Regardless, it should be the DRIVERS DECISION, not the manufacture. Matters not to me; I'll refrain from purchasing a Volvo for my next vehicle.

      --

      To Copy from One is Plagiarism; To Copy from Many is Research.

    2. Re:Speed limits aren't the reason. by mjwx · · Score: 1

      Note, the max speed limit in Texas is currently 85 MPH. That's 27 MPH more.

      Regardless, it should be the DRIVERS DECISION, not the manufacture. Matters not to me; I'll refrain from purchasing a Volvo for my next vehicle.

      Which is your choice.

      Volvo have been off my list since they got rid of the manual transmission.

      However I was simply pointing out that most models wont even be capable of reaching the limiter and this is merely a PR exercise.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  72. HURR by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    After reading the comments it's pretty evident that Libertarians are idiots.

  73. Aftermarket? by kilfarsnar · · Score: 1

    Hopefully the aftermarket steps in to give people back their cars' full capability. The ECU software I run on my car removes the electronic governor, making the top speed limited by the top gear ratio. Just be sure to not outrun your tires. ;-)

    --
    "What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)
  74. easy fix.. Don't buy a Volvo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If all new vehicles are going to implement this then I will never buy a new car. The hell with Volvo. BTW .. a Chipped 2012 VW Beetle with 6 Speed DSG and turbo, can go 164mph. Faster and better 0 - 60 times with a larger turbo and exhaust.

  75. The diversity of auto safety philosophy by bill.pev · · Score: 1

    I don't agree with your wording here, Herr Deutschlander, but I do agree with a fundamental premise you make, based on 40 years of driving and living in both the UK and in USA:

    American cars are big and heavy and built and bought with the logic, "no matter what, (even if its my old grandmother's fault,) everyone in the car will be safe.. whatever happens!" This is how we choose/buy cars for our young, for our aged, for those we want to protect from themselves. It is the American Alter of curb weight. I never did get the whole SUV craze. I prefer my [sporty coupe.]

    European cars by contrast (and maybe because fuel is so much more expensive) have until recently been smaller, with an emphasis on handling, braking, and performance. In Europe, driving is not a right but a privilege, and it must be earned. The build and buy logic is to buy the car which is safest in the hands of a competent driver. Rather than focus on safety when a driver screws up, focus on the best ability to stay out of trouble in the first place.

    Of course there are knobheads who drive their US rolling tank, or UK boy racer, like they don't care whether they or anyone else lives or dies. Moreover, 40 years has seen traffic rise to a level unthinkable when I got my license, making silly bugger speeds increasingly problematic. But I've never been in an accident, and it's not because I drive within the absolute limits of the lowest common denominator. And when I rent American fleet cars, I drive them like a baby, secure in the knowledge that I could drive into a tree and not notice, but fearing it will happen through no fault of my own.

  76. No it isn't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    180 km/h (112mph) is downright slow on the autobahn. If I'm driving up to Amsterdam for a weekend of weed and sex on the A3, I don't want my car limiting my speed. It's bad enough when I hit the Dutch border and have to slow down to 110 km/h, I sure as hell don't want to be constrained in Germany by a Scandinavian (or any other) car manufacturer.

  77. Why can they exceed speed limits anyway? by shufflingb · · Score: 1

    So here we are in the 21st century. We have well surfaced but increasing crowded roads, powerful fast cars, and yet the only thing stopping a driver breaking the law is the driver's self-control. Because we all know how reliable an individuals self-control is. So we end up with speed being a significant factor in the majority of road traffic accidents, increased pollution and noise. It discourages active transport, children playing outside and generally makes everyone's lives, other than the speeder's, hell. Yet, we are told by the lying automotive industry whose advertising budget is the largest in the world (and never features a congested road or children dying of asthma because of their cars) that it would infringe on their users' rights. FFS, what are car drivers, some sort of over indulged royalty who can do what the hell they want to the rest of us. What about the rights of those of us who are being killed daily by their badly driven legacy tin boxes? Are we a less important people because we are not in a tin box? Even gun enthusiasts think safety catches are a good thing. So isn't it about time our governments stood up for us and mandated that no vehicle is sold that doesn't at least by default respect speed limits?

  78. Bad Volvo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not that I ever was going to buy a Volvo or that I often drive faster than 85 mph...but that settles it. I will never buy a Volvo. The worst that could come from this is that governments start mandating such things for all manufactures. Frankly I am a little surprised they already don't. The fast I ever drove was 125 mph on a straight and flat highway with next to no traffic. I only stayed that fast for perhaps 2 minutes before I decided I proved my point and didn't want to risk getting a ticket. Theoretically the car and tires would have handled up to 165 mph. But at 125...switching lanes was already almost accidental.

  79. A form of censorship by SuseLover · · Score: 1

    So facebook, youtube, and twitter as private entities limit free speech and imagery they don't like. Now it's a car company limiting how we can drive.

    What if I want to take the car to track day, or I own my own private road that has no speed limits?

    It is not a company's place to dictate my behaviour, that's the job of our elected leaders to enact and enforce the laws we desire. If I want to exceed the speed limit understanding that I might loose my driving privileges or freedom if caught violating it, that should be my choice.

    Some of you say, "But but but they're my roads too and if you're speeding you might kill me", then grow up and learn defensive driving. Life is not safe and no one can guarantee a safe life.

    What next? If taken to it's extreme logical conclusion, this move isn't good. Our freedoms are being lost bit-by-bit by non-elected entities.

    I will never buy a Volvo now, even though I have been considering one recently.

  80. Don't you mean 180 km/h? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Last time I checked they used metric. Or are these Swedish miles? 112 Swedish miles per hour = 1120 km/h

  81. Missing from the summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    112 mph = 180 kph.

    That is the nice round number.

  82. YES! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'll be able to say that my Miata can go faster than ALL NEW VOLVO'S! ðYðYðY'ðY'

  83. Re:Volvo drivers are generally crap anyway by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

    I just put the videos on YouTube forever and email the company and/or police.
    Illegal mostly everywhere ...

    --
    Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
  84. Stop making Subaru worse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As if us Subaru owners didn't have a shitty enough stereotype to start with, there you go, Subie, making it worse. You don't know what you're talking about. Even regarding your beloved Subarus, they ALL have been limited to 156mph. Chevy trucks are limited to 98mph. Chevy cars vary.
    All Ford cars except the Mustang and SVT Focus are limited to 115mph. Those statements apply to anything before 2010 because I haven't owned anything newer to test it myself. I street race all the time. That's usually how I win. I've never needed to get my Legacy GT over 130 to win. You either pass your finish line, hit the other person's speed limiter, or run out of straight road.

  85. US did it already! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The US did this in the 80's. Almost all GM cars, like my Buick LeSabre and Caprice Classic, had the speedometer scaled to 85mph. The car would keep going and would bang the needle off the stopping post. If you manage to find one in a junkyard, you'll often notice the needle is stuck over there or hung straight down. That's why.

  86. Subaru clarification by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Let me clarify what you're trying to say so you can rephrase what you post and avoid dumbass responses like the AC above you. Turbo Subarus are fast, super fast, which is why you excluded the WRX. Non-turbo ones are slower than a 3 cylinder Geo Metro with only one working spark plug. To know the difference, turbo Roos have a hood scoop. Non turbos do not. The only except to that is a few early 90s models where the factory made too many of one hood and not enough of the regular one. Or obviously if someone went to a junkyard to get a replacement but that's rare. There aren't a huge amount of 90s Roos on the road with the nonfunctional hood scoop anymore so it's a good bet that if you see a scoop, it's a turbo (the intercooler is under there, it's not ram air). There are Outback and Forester wagons with a scoop and turbo but they'll have a big ol XT badge on the back. You've just never been fortunate to see one. Also, just because it's a turbo, it could still be driven by a prude who will never take it over 65 because it's hard to knit a sweater and wrestle 4 dogs at that speed. I hope you feel more knowledgable.

  87. Most Volvos are diesels anyway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Most Volvos are diesels anyway, so their top speed isn't far beyond 180 km/h.

  88. Re:Volvo drivers are generally crap anyway by turp182 · · Score: 1

    How so? I'm in public, recording the public, the activities I post are what's illegal.

    When I catch, on video, a commercial truck accelerating through a stop sign (no slowing down) in a residential area, I post it (and get responses/apologies really fast, under 5 minutes).

    The video is just a record of a public space during a short period of time.

    I've been thanked by multiple police agencies as well for taking the time to post and notify.

    I don't mind a bit of speeding on the highway, but running stop signs and red lights in my neighborhood is not acceptable.

    If asked I would take down a video. No one has asked. Public record.

    --
    BlameBillCosby.com
  89. phew! Glad I don't buy Volvos by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Was considering one, but no more!

  90. thanks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    for warning. My next car will NOT be Volvo.

  91. Re:Volvo drivers are generally crap anyway by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

    That concept of "public record" and "free to post" because "it is pubic" does not exist in Europe.

    You recorded another private person, posting about her - aka making it public - is illegal. Every evidence gathered from it would be useless in court. The only thing you can do is: show it to law enforcement.

    That is actually a no brainer, laws in the US are similar.

    --
    Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
  92. Re:Volvo drivers are generally crap anyway by turp182 · · Score: 1

    OK, I researched, holy shit, there are some heavy restrictions on dash cams in certain European countries. I wouldn't have thought that:
    https://www.express.co.uk/life...

    They are legal in the US with the basic restriction being how much vision it obscures and where it is mounted (I only travel in states where windshield mount is allowed, but mine's on the dash, I wasn't even aware there were such restrictions):
    https://dashcamerasreviews.com...

    You have shown me the error of my ways, specifically the "forever" part for videos (they will go private). I figure leaving them up long enough to report is fine in the US.

    Crazy.

    --
    BlameBillCosby.com
  93. Re:Volvo drivers are generally crap anyway by turp182 · · Score: 1

    Is Facebook legal in the restrictive countries?

    What about drones?

    How about photos from a music festival (and/or recording of the band)?

    I am seriously impressed by the serious handling of privacy, I didn't realize it was that hard core. In the US we have no privacy and all of our info is just for sale (or stolen with no repercussions, Equifax).

    But, I can do stuff like this (illegal in Switzerland apparently, but I didn't realize how nice the drive was until I was driving so my intent was just recording, including the very close deer on road miss, 0:54 seconds in, original song):
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    --
    BlameBillCosby.com
  94. Re:Volvo drivers are generally crap anyway by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

    It might be fine in the US unless you show the driver clearly. Then you most likely violate his privacy rights in the US, too.

    Interesting links, though. I did not know they are completely forbidden in Austria e.g.

    --
    Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
  95. Re:Volvo drivers are generally crap anyway by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

    Is Facebook legal in the restrictive countries?
    No. But violating other peoples privacy by posting pictures of them with out consent is.

    How about photos from a music festival (and/or recording of the band)?
    Depends, they used to be forbidden (signs everywhere and written on the ticket), but a random shot is usually ok (also to publish on Fb etc.) because it is a public event. Inside of a pub e.g. the band usually would not care. On a big festival it is more or less accepted because you can't do anything against it anyway.

    But recording a video of a whole song and publishing it would strictly speaking be a copyright violation.

    What about drones?
    Allowed as long as you don't fly them over other peoples property. If you post pictures/movies, you have to blur out the people.

    I guess your movie would not be a problem anywhere as it does not depict real people or license plates.

    --
    Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.