EU Proposes Speed Limiters for all new Vehicles
After EU agreement, it is proposed that all new cars will be fitted with a speed limiter from 2022.
ISA, also known as Intelligent Speed Assistance is one of the many safety measures to become mandatory in European vehicles after the European Commission gave their approval.
How the speed limiter works?
The speed limiter device uses GPS data and sign recognition cameras to detect speed limits where the car is travelling, and then will sound a warning and automatically slow the vehicle down if it is exceeding the limit. However, drivers will be able to override the device simply by pushing hard on the accelerator, reassuring some motoring groups that have argued that in certain situations – such as when trying to swiftly overtake a vehicle in front – speeding up could be safer.
More than a speed limiter
Other possible obligatory features such as Advanced Emergency-Braking Systems, Alcohol Interlock Installation Facilitation and Accident Black Boxes, to name a few have also been mentioned.
Saving 25,000 lives in 15 years
It comes as part of the EU’s efforts to improve road safety, after 25,300 were killed on roads within the bloc in 2017. It is claimed the new limiting measures could save up to 25,000 lives and help to avoid at least 140,000 serious injuries by 2038.
So far there have been mixed opinions. Brake (Road Safety Charity) have descried it as a “landmark day for road safety”, while the AA have commented saying “the best speed limiter is the driver’s right foot”.
Manufacturers on board
Recently, Volvo became the first manufacturer to announce it would limit the speed of all its new cars to 112mph… even though its above the speed limit everywhere except German autobahns, it’s still a step in the right direction.
Speed Limiter Implementation
The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) wrote to all 27 EU Transport Ministers in November 2020 expressing their concern that the technical requirements for speed limiters don’t go far enough..
Swedish and German officials had argued that they would prefer to see a less invasive speed limit information function as an option instead of ISA.
And with EU dealing with vaccine rollouts and the Brexit fallout this one has some more miles to run before we will see speed limiters being introducted as standard on new vehicles.
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