From Sunday July 7, new vehicles will need to have Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) systems fitted as standard as part of an EU safety regulation mandate
From today, “mandatory” speed limiters will be fitted to all new cars sold in Europe.
From Sunday July 7, new vehicles will need to have Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) systems fitted as standard as part of an EU safety regulation mandate. The Department for Transport (DfT) has clarified that cars in Great Britain will not be affected by this new road safety regulation, however as many cars will have been made in Europe, it will affect UK drivers. The new rule will apply to cars in Northern Ireland.
A speed limiter is a safety device that can be fitted into your car so that your vehicle doesn’t cross a certain speed by using a combination of GPS data, satellite navigation, speed-sign recognition cameras and forward-facing cameras. So simply, if you go too fast, your car will automatically be able to slow you down. For example, if you’re driving on the M1, the ISA technology can limit you to a maximum of 70mph. This system does not apply the breaks in your vehicle.
Speed limiters are already fitted on many cars but now it will be law across the EU. Before this system intervenes, the driver will be given a warning either through a visual alert, a noise or a “haptic notification” – this will make the steering wheel vibrate. If the alerts are ignored, then the system will step in.
In 2019, the European Parliament agreed on the policy in a bid to combat injuries and road traffic accidents and the technology was recommended by the European Transport Safety Council. At the time it claimed that the speed restriction system would reduce road accidents by 30% and injuries by 20%.
In July 2022, new models introduced to the market for the first time needed the tech to be installed. Today’s change expands this requirement to all new vehicles sold in showrooms, which will have to be retrofitted with the technology. This means manufacturers will need to install the tech on some long-standing models.
A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: “The Intelligent Speed Assistance laws coming into effect in July apply to the EU and Northern Ireland only, not Great Britain. We are constantly carrying out research into how transport users across all modes can benefit from the latest technology, ensuring journeys are safe, reliable, and cut emissions.”
