Mandatory Speed Limiters Are Coming

The EU has provisionally approved legislation that would see new cars sold in any of its member states forced to carry automated speed limiters
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The European Union has provisionally approved new laws that would make active speed limiters compulsory in all new cars.

The limiters would use GPS data and road sign-reading cameras to determine what the limit is at any given time, cutting engine power when you stray over the limit. Rather patronisingly named ‘intelligent speed assistance’ (ISA), it’s one of a raft of electronic systems that will be made compulsory on all new cars across the EU.

Mandatory Speed Limiters Are Coming

At this stage the general understanding is that the limiters can be overridden with either a button or a hard press of the throttle, but what is clear is that the system will always default to its on and fully active state when you start the car.

Pending approval by the European Parliament and EU member states, expected to be a formality as the bloc’s politicians make a special effort to show unity as Brexit rumbles on, ISA will be introduced on all-new cars from 2022, with pre-existing models forced to comply by 2024, for example during their mid-life updates. Cars sold before this date won’t be legally required to feature the technology.

Among the other systems slated for universal introduction at that time are autonomous emergency braking, which is already common but will become compulsory. Lane departure warnings, driver drowsiness warnings, driver distraction warnings, an accident data recorder (or ‘black box’) and a dedicated ‘emergency stop’ braking signal will also be required.

The regulations even specify that cars must have the facility to install an ‘alcohol interlock,’ so a breathalyser can be installed and linked to the immobiliser, in theory preventing drunk-driving. Weirdly, the final mandated technology is reversing sensors or a rear-view camera, because apparently no one can be trusted to reverse a car using their eyes any more.

Mandatory Speed Limiters Are Coming

Whether or not the UK leaves the EU in the coming weeks, the technology is likely to be put into practice here as well. Few politicians would have the will to argue for civil liberties over black and white safety.

Matthew Avery, director of research at Thatcham, has previously called the legislation “great news for road safety.” He continued: “It’s encouraging that a lot of the safety technologies proposed are already fitted as standard on many new cars. In fact, it’s now impossible to get a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating without AEB fitted as standard.”

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Comments

Mandatory Speed Limiters Are Coming
HF_Martini6

How is that company called that makes Speed Limit Defenders for JDM Cars?
i’ll buy all the Shares and some Inventory as i suspect they might get quite the demand.

03/27/2019 - 12:42 |
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ᴶᵘˢᵗᴬᴿᵃⁿᵈᵒá

SMH EU ‘boutta start some wars

03/27/2019 - 14:35 |
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ATOGI_28

How hard is it to just take a quick glance down (or forward if you have head up display) at your speedo every once in a while? And you should be able to get used to the feeling of how fast your going, right?
This just sounds a bit too big brother and dumb to me

03/27/2019 - 14:56 |
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675LT_ftw

Ill be entirely honest, I’m surprised that this hasn’t happened any sooner

03/27/2019 - 19:34 |
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Ethan Hulme

This is pathetic, imagine this, you were behind a car in a 60 zone, the car in front of you was travelling about 50mph, if you wanted to overtake them, it would be near impossible as you can only overtake them whilst sticking to the speed limit of 60, which would make overtaking more difficult. And would also mean that you are on the other side of the road for a longer amount of time. Making it easier to hit an oncoming vehicle.

03/27/2019 - 19:49 |
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Dave 12

The realist in me thinks all this is probably a good idea. The car enthusiast in me hates it and wants it to die a fiery death.

03/27/2019 - 20:41 |
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TurboManual

I can see how every corner garage will offer hacks to disable this, and many people will do it. It’s sort of like the speed limiters currently present on trucks - many just disable them.

03/27/2019 - 21:38 |
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Dave 15

No self-respecting, freedom-loving European should be pro-EU at this point. As if Article 13 (internet censorship bill) wasn’t bad enough they now want to control how we drive.

It doesn’t surprise me that the British government is all for this. UKIP is the only significant British political party that is pro-liberty.

03/27/2019 - 23:22 |
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Anonymous

So hypothetically if someone were to print some stickers that increase the speed limits on road signs, the car would then react accordingly? Asking for a friend.

03/28/2019 - 00:06 |
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André 🇳🇴 (rÃ¥nersquad) (subaru) (gf4) (

hope we dont get this in norway. anyways good luck fitting all this fancy stuff on a almost 20 year old car!

03/28/2019 - 07:38 |
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