Cars will slow down if drivers are speeding under EU safety tech in new cars

Dashboard screen for intelligent speed assistance – iStockphoto

Cars will beep, vibrate or slow down if drivers are speeding under new mandatory safety technology which comes into effect this summer.

From July 6, new vehicles sold in the European Union and Northern Ireland will be fitted with intelligent speed assistance (ISA) to prevent accidents.

Although the UK has opted out, meaning it will not be a requirement on British roads, the technology will still be installed in most cars, and drivers can choose to switch it off on a daily basis.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, an independent research organisation, told the Sunday Times: “I think many motorists will tire of switching off ISA and they will just learn to live with it.”

Mr Gooding said it would take autonomy away from drivers, with cars increasingly deciding what drivers can and can’t do, and said it was the beginning of the end of people choosing cars based on top speed.

ISA has a forward-facing camera that can recognise speed limit signs and is integrated with GPS mapping data so the car always knows what limit applies to its location.

ISA will beep or the steering wheel will vibrate when motorists pass the speed limit – Geopix/Alamy

When fitted, the technology will send a warning beep or the steering wheel will vibrate when drivers pass the speed limit. If the driver does not take action, the accelerator will ease up, reducing the speed to keep in line with the limit.

Manufacturers including Ford have been offering ISA as an option on new cars since 2015, and it has been mandatory on all new cars sold in Europe since 2022, but could be switched off.

The European Transport Safety Council said that while it took drivers a short time to adjust to the technology, the majority saw it as a positive step. It also helps drivers avoid speeding tickets.

Leeds University calculated that Britain could see up to 12 per cent reduction in injuries from road accidents, equating to thousands of people walking away from collisions unharmed or avoiding crashes altogether.

The European Transport Safety Council has also calculated it could reduce deaths by 20 per cent.

There are roughly 1,700 deaths on British roads annually, and the figures suggest that if the technology was adopted across the board in the UK it could save 340 lives.

Most Transport for London buses already use the technology – Karl Hendon/Moment RF

Half of the 8,900-strong fleet of buses operated by Transport for London are already using it, as well as many haulage companies.

Britain’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), which helped develop ISA, predicts that 90 per cent of new cars sold in Britain will include ISA as standard.

Dr David Hynd, chief scientist at TRL said: “I personally choose to keep my ISA turned on in my car all the time. It stops me getting speeding fines. It saves me money on my fuel bill, which is always very welcome.

“But, best of all, it provides an extra set of eyes, which I find particularly helpful when I’m navigating new places, or the roads are busy. ISA gives me head space and that makes me a better driver.

“On a motorway, I use ISA in conjunction with cruise control, and have been pleasantly surprised by how much less tired I am after a long journey when using this system.”

TRL admits that sometimes the mapping data can take a while to update when a speed limit has changed, but says it still helps most of the time.

The AA said the technology could be “incredibly beneficial”, particularly when drivers are in urban areas and need to switch between changeable speed limits.

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