UK could follow Europe’s lead in making speed limiters mandatory

30 May 2022

Every car built in Europe from this month (May 2022) onwards will be required to be fitted with Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology, and UK ministers are set to launch a consultation on following suit.

The technology, which can reduce engine power or sets off an alarm when the driver exceeds the speed limit, is intended to improve road safety and would likely be supported by environmental campaigners as lower speeds would help to reduce emissions. 

Though drivers can override the system in order to be able to speed up in the event of an emergency, it reactivates each time the engine is restarted. ISA experts have issued warnings that temporary speed restrictions at roadworks, for example, or unclear road signs can cause these systems to fail – meaning drivers could unintentionally break the speed limit if they are solely relying on the system.

Car manufacturers Citroen, Ford, and Jaguar have already begun introducing ISA technology in some of their new vehicles.

AA President Edmund King pointed out that changes to speed limits on the road could result in ‘chaos’. He said, “The speed limits have to be totally accurate because the car is reacting to the speed limit. If you’ve got the wrong speed limit in the digital system, it might slow you to the wrong speed or allow you to speed to the wrong speed.”

Society of Motoring Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) chief executive Mike Hawes said the Society welcomes measures which can further improve our roads which are considered some of the safest in the world. He added, “SMMT and its members look forward to contributing to the UK Government consultation on how these measures will be rolled out in this country,” he said. However, he added that diverging from the EU regulations would be bad for the industry given the close ties between the two.

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