Volvo will limit all cars to 112 mph starting with 2021 models

March 4 (UPI) -- Volvo Cars will put a top speed of 112 mph on all cars starting with the 2021 models, the company announced Monday.

"Volvo is a leader in safety: we always have been and we always will be," Volvo President and CEO Hakan Samuelsson said in a statement. "Because of our research we know where the problem areas are when it comes to ending serious injuries and fatalities in our cars. And while a speed limitation is not a cure-all, it's worth doing if we can even save one life."

Imposing speed limits on roads is not enough to avoid severe injuries and fatalities, Volvo said. The National Safety Council estimates that 40,000 people were killed in traffic accidents in the United States last year.

"People often drive too fast in a given traffic situation and have poor speed adaption in relation to that traffic situation and their own capabilities as a driver," Jan Ivarsson, a safety expert at Volvo, said.

In addition to limiting speeds, Volvo is exploring smart speed controls with geofencing technology to automatically lower speeds in school zones or near hospitals.

"We want to start a conversation about whether car makers have the right or maybe even an obligation to install technology in cars that changes their driver´s behavior, to tackle things like speeding, intoxication or distraction," Samuelsson said.

Volvo would also like to address drunk driving and distraction in the future.