Ford looking at limiting vehicle speeds at night, regardless of driver

• Ford created “night drive mode” and patented the idea
• “Night drive mode” would limit vehicle speeds after dark; it’s aimed at first responders
• The system would use a light sensor that limits speeds after dark

Ford has developed a “night drive mode” that limits vehicle speeds after dark.

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

Ford designed this feature with first responders in mind, according to the application. Emergencies happen day or night, the automaker notes, adding that the high-speed driving involved in getting to the scene of an emergency leaves less margin for error even for skilled drivers.

“While these first responders are generally trained in driving techniques for high speed vehicle operation, there is still less time to react to situations on roadways when traveling at high speeds,” the application reads. “This is particularly true at night and under inclement weather conditions.”

The speed limiter would be triggered by a light sensor that would measure ambient light levels, but also communicate with a car’s GPS and telematics systems to determine if it’s actually nighttime or if lower light levels are due to inclement weather. In either case, the vehicle would be limited to a specific speed regardless of local speed limits unless the driver requests an override.

Speed limiters are already used in certain performance cars, and Volvo has been limiting all of its cars to 112 mph for the past few years in the name of safety. In 2023, New York lawmakers also proposed mandated limiters for serial speeders. But we haven’t seen the specific use case of night driving and emergency responders that Ford is discussing here.