Life in the slow lane
SLOW LANE All new cars to have special gadget to stop you going over the speed limit by 2022
A stack of new safety legislation is due to be approved by the European Parliament later this year and Britain is expected to follow suit
ALL new cars sold in the UK will be fitted with a special gadget to stop people driving over the speed limit by 2022.New vehicles will need to have an Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) limiter as standard after the legislation got the green light from the European Commission.
The move is just one of several new safety measures that are expected to be approved by the European Parliament in September.
Cars will have to have data loggers, autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, driver fatigue detection and reversing cameras or sensors.
New models will also need pre-wiring for alcohol interlocks to allow the fitting of in-car breathalysers for people who have been convicted of drink driving.
Britain is expected to also approve the measures after the country’s automotive certification body said it planned to mirror the EU rules even if Brexit had been done and dusted by then.
ISA technology works with traffic-sign recognition cameras as well as GPS data to detect the speed limit on the road and can then automatically reduce the speed the car is travelling if necessary.
The driver will be warned to reduce their speed when they are breaking the law and an alert will sound and a visual warning will be given until the car is at or below the given speed limit.
'A BIG LEAP'
The system can be overridden though by pushing hard on the accelerator.
This has been built in case a surge of power is needed to avoid danger or if you are overtaking and the other driver has decided to put their foot down.
The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) called for all cars to have an on/off ISA switch, although each time a car is started it will automatically be activated.
The legislation is due to come into effect from May 2022 for models that have not yet been approved for production and May 2024 for new cars currently for sale.
It is estimated the move will cut traffic collisions by 30 percent and potentially save around 25,000 lives in the first 15 years of them being mandatory.
The measures are likely to be approved by the European Parliament and the EU states in September this year.
The UK's Vehicle Certification Agency has previously said it will mirror EU rules whatever the outcome of Brexit is.
Antonio Avenoso, executive director of the ETSC said: “There have only been a handful of moments in the last fifty years which could be described as big leaps forward for road safety in Europe.
“The mandatory introduction of the seat belt was one, and the first EU minimum crash safety standards, agreed in 1998 was another.
“If last night's agreement is given the formal green light, it will represent another of those moments, preventing 25,000 deaths within 15 years of coming into force.”
AA president Edmund King told The Sun Online: “There is no doubt that new in-car technology can save lives and there is a good case for autonomous emergency braking to be fitted in all cars.
“When it comes to Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) the case is not so clear. The best speed limiter is the driver’s right foot and the driver should use it to do the right speed in the right situation. The right speed is often below the speed limit, for example, outside a school with children about. However, with ISA there may be a temptation to go at the top speed allowed which may not be appropriate.
“Sometimes a little speed also helps to keep safe on the road, for example, over-taking a tractor on a country road or joining a motorway.
“Dodgem cars are all fitted with speed limiters but they still seem to crash.”
EU commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska, responsible for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, said: "Every year, 25,000 people lose their lives on our roads. The vast majority of these accidents are caused by human error.
"We can and must act to change this. With the new advanced safety features that will become mandatory, we can have the same kind of impact as when the safety belts were first introduced. "Many of the new features already exist, in particular in high–end vehicles.
Now we raise the safety level across the board, and pave the way for connected and automated mobility of the future."
Comments
I agree with this new safety measure. If the European Commission is going to legislate for including a special gadget to limit speed in new vehicles is okay for me. What is more, they include measures to autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, diver fatigue detection and to avoid that drunk people driving. I agree absolutely.
I don´t know what will happen if you are going to overtake other car and the other driver put his foot down. In this case, will the Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) jump?
On the other hand, I can´t understand it very well, because it is said that “the system can be overridden though by pushing hard on the accelerator”. Then, the gadget which they are going to fit in the car reduces the speed car automatically o you can be overridden it. That is, you can cancel the gadget o it is impossible and, therefore, you must obey the ISA because it breaks your car when you over the speed limit established. Sorry Graham, you must give me an explanation.
I know now that dodgem cars are fitted with speed limiters. I always wondered why were cars going slowly if I pushed hard on the accelerator when I was child? I remember that we changed the car because it ran less. ¡How stupid!
See you.
For the next week, you'll be breathing fresh, country air. I can't imagine you in your hiking gear. You'll have to take a selfie to prove to me that you have more than suits and ties in your wardrobe.
I made some "torrijas" this morning - they turned out not bad, certainly better than the last ones I made (in my zombi-like state, I used salt instead of sugar).
I agree with this new safety measure. If the European Commission is going to legislate to include a special gadget to limit speed in new vehicles,it is okay by me. What is more, they include measures for autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, diver fatigue detection and to prevent people from drink-driving. I absolutely agree.
I don´t know what will happen if you are going to overtake another car and the other driver puts his foot down. In this case, will the Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) jump?
On the other hand, I can´t understand it very well, because it is said that “the system can be overridden though by pushing hard on the accelerator”. Then, the gadget which they are going to fit in the car reduces the speed of the car automatically though there is a way of going faster if you choose to. That is, you can cancel the gadget so it is impossible and, therefore, you must obey the ISA because it breaks your car when you go over the established speed limit. Sorry Graham, you must give me an explanation.
I know now that dodgem cars are fitted with speed limiters. I always wondered why the cars were going slowly if I pushed hard on the accelerator when I was child? I remember that we changed the car because it didn't go so fast. ¡How stupid!