Patent ID: 8684441

Claim:
A vehicle comprising: sidewalls spaced laterally apart from one another; a tailgate located proximate to rear ends of the sidewalls; a governor coupled to one of the sidewalls and to the tailgate, the governor selectively applying a governing force to the tailgate only in a direction to reduce an opening speed of the tailgate; a speed sensor sensing the opening speed of the tailgate; and an electronic control unit electronically coupled to the governor and the speed sensor, the electronic control unit comprising a processor and memory storing a computer readable and executable instruction set, wherein the electronic control unit receives a speed signal indicative of the opening speed of the tailgate from the speed sensor and, when the opening speed of the tailgate approaches a pre-determined maximum opening speed, the processor executes the instruction set to cause the electronic control unit to transmit a control signal to the governor such that the governor applies the governing force to slow the opening speed of the tailgate.