Ford limiting car speeds at night time, no matter driver Acquire US

• Ford created “night time drive mode” and patented the thought
• “Night time drive mode” would restrict car speeds after darkish; it is aimed toward first responders
• The system would use a light-weight sensor that limits speeds after darkish

Ford has developed a “night time drive mode” that limits car speeds after darkish.

The nighttime pace limiter was disclosed by Ford in a patent software the automaker filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Workplace (USPTO) again in August 2019. That software was simply revealed by the USPTO on June 4 of this yr.

Ford designed this characteristic with first responders in thoughts, in keeping with the applying. Emergencies occur day or night time, the automaker notes, including that the high-speed driving concerned in attending to the scene of an emergency leaves much less margin for error even for expert drivers.

“Whereas these first responders are typically educated in driving methods for top pace car operation, there’s nonetheless much less time to react to conditions on roadways when touring at excessive speeds,” the applying reads. “That is significantly true at night time and underneath inclement climate situations.”

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The pace limiter could be triggered by a light-weight sensor that might measure ambient mild ranges, but additionally talk with a automobile’s GPS and telematics programs to find out if it is really nighttime or if decrease mild ranges are because of inclement climate. In both case, the car could be restricted to a selected pace no matter native pace limits until the motive force requests an override.

Velocity limiters are already utilized in sure efficiency vehicles, and Volvo has been limiting all of its vehicles to 112 mph for the previous few years within the identify of security. In 2023, New York lawmakers additionally proposed mandated limiters for serial speeders. However we have not seen the precise use case of night time driving and emergency responders that Ford is discussing right here.