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Comment by shalmanese | Hacker News Reader

I've always been puzzled as to why cars don't come with speed governing as a (default off) option. I'd love to be able to lend my car to my child with the max speed set to 60mph or govern my speed to 65 on long freeway trips so I don't have to constantly check my speedometer (this is different from cruise control because I could easily slow down below 65, just never go above it).

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Slightly fancy cars have been pushing this with per key controlled limits, so you can let your kid drive with a max speed limit, a max volume limit, etc.

Most cruise control systems come with a limiter as well though, so you can set a limit and then the car will never exceed it.

Also, no offence, but if you can't trust your kid with a car, then maybe you shouldn't be lending them it in the first place? Or get them a less powerful car for the start?

Depending on where you live and the sorts of roads you drive, accidents often come from corners/junctions/road conditions/acceleration etc rather than just MAX_SPEED.

A speed limiter is an incredibly one dimensional tool to try and modify accident chance.

i can imagine quite a few situations where any reasonably small limit on speed would end up in horrible crash (ie overtaking trucks in single lane mountain roads)

Some cars already have that, at least my 2008 Peugeot 607 has. While driving, push the button to select max speed and you're done. Controlling same way as cruise control. Although it leaves an option to go faster if you push the accelerator down to the floor.

Wouldn't work for controlling child, but on a freeway would work just as you expect.

My car has a speed limiter that I can turn on, but weirdly it can't be used in combination with cruise control. My use-case here would be cruising at one speed, then speeding up a bit to get around someone (think motorway/highway), but I don't want to go above the speed limit.

In my car that's just done by stepping on the gas a bit for passing and then letting go. Cruise control only turns off on braking or shifting (Manual)

My car has that. I can configure one of the car keys to only allow a certain max speed whenever it's used with the car.

It's called valet mode IIRC.

What car do you have?

My 2007 Honda Civic Si has this feature. I always use the valet key when I take the car in for service.

2015 Fiesta

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