Ford Considers Nighttime Vehicle Speed Limits Regardless of Driver

Ford has developed a "night drive mode" that limits vehicle speed after sunset.

This nighttime speed limiter was disclosed in a patent application filed by Ford with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in August 2019. That application was just published by the USPTO on June 4 of this year.

According to the application, Ford designed the feature with emergency personnel in mind. Emergencies can occur at any time of the day or night, the automaker noted, adding that driving at high speeds to get to the scene of an emergency leaves little room for error, even for skilled drivers.

"Even though these first responders are generally trained in high-speed driving techniques, they have less time to react to conditions on the road when traveling at high speeds. This is especially true at night and during inclement weather."

The speed limiter is activated by light sensors that measure ambient light levels, but it also communicates with the car's GPS and telematics systems to determine if it is actually nighttime or if the light levels are reduced due to bad weather. In either case, the vehicle is limited to a specific speed, regardless of the local speed limit, unless the driver requests an override.

Speed limiters have already been employed in certain performance cars, with Volvo limiting all of its vehicles to 112 mph in the name of safety in recent years; in 2023, New York legislators have also proposed mandatory limiters for serial speeders. However, we have yet to see specific use cases such as nighttime driving or emergency response, as Ford is discussing here.