Rules that have been provisionally agreed by the EU mean that speed limiters will become a mandatory requirement for all vehicles that are sold in Europe from 2022.
The hope is that it will improve road safety even more so than it already is. What this means is that all vehicles in Europe will be factory fitted with a system that restricts them from breaking the speed limit. Even after the UK leaves the EU the DFT (Department for Transport) say that the UK will follow suit with this approach to improving safety in the country.
Intelligent Speed Assistance
It has already been approved by the European Commission that mandatory speed limiting technology termed “Intelligent Speed Assistance” (ISA) would be fitted to all new cars in 2022. According to the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) the introduction of limiters would reduce collisions by 30% and save around 25,000 lives within 15 years.
The ETSC state that the limiters work by using:
“a speed sign-recognition camera and/or GPS-linked speed limit data to advise drivers of the current speed limit and automatically limit the speed of the vehicle as needed. ISA systems do not automatically apply the brakes, but simply limit engine power preventing the vehicle from accelerating past the current speed limit unless overridden.”
Manual Override?
To try and make the limiters more popular the ETSC proposes that an on/off switch be installed at first, which would allow the system to be overruled by pushing down hard on the accelerator. The override system would allow drivers to speed up should circumstances require it, with the intent that stricter rules could be introduced in the future.
The ETSC also say:
“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”
The main controversial aspect to the ETSC plans is that the vehicles should also be fitted with data loggers. The purpose of these data loggers would be to track the system under recommendations from the ETSC and provide feedback on driving behaviour trends, patterns and issues.
Although the UK is planning on leaving the EU this year, it is likely that the new speed limiter rules would still apply to Great Britain.
This is comes as the UK’s Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) has said:
“it intends to mirror EU rules post-Brexit, while car makers are unlikely to produce different vehicles specifically for the UK market.”
And it is more than likely that other aspects of driving will change after Brexit too.
Stay tuned for further updates as the regulations unfold.