Mandatory speed limiters to be fitted to all new cars in Europe within three years | Evo

Sitting among a range of new safety features due for all new cars, the mandatory speed limiters come as part of a proposal from the European Transport Safety Council, recently approved by a group of key MEPs.

Dubbed Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), the limiters will use GPS data and/or traffic sign recognition cameras to determine the speed limit of the road a vehicle is travelling on. Engine power will then be limited to match this, preventing the car from exceeding the speed limit. It will be possible to override the system by pushing hard on the throttle, however the system will be engaged every time a car is started.

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If you think you can simply keep pressing a little harder on the throttle to break through the system, think again. ETSC also states that: ‘If the driver continues to drive above the speed limit for several seconds, the system should sound a warning for a few seconds and display a visual warning until the vehicle is operating at or below the speed limit again.’

A feature already seen on models such as the new Ford Focus, the speed limiters will come alongside data loggers and a whole host of new safety measures such as lane-keep assist and autonomous emergency braking. It’s not all quite as bad as you may think, as it will likely be a feature as easy to disable as it is to change your radio station, however the Safety Council does indicate that it intends to push for even stricter rules in the future, meaning a permanent system may come into force.

The push for the new safety tech is down to the supposed reduction it will bring in traffic collisions and lives lost; ETSC says the limiters will reduce collisions by 30 per cent and save 25,000 lives within 15 years of being introduced.

https://www.evo.co.uk/news/22326/mandatory-speed-limiters-to-be-fitted-to-all-new-cars-in-europe-within-three-years