√New cars will stop drivers from speeding under European laws

From today, new cars sold in Europe must be fitted with technology to help discourage speeding.

The European Union has introduced regulations which will require all new cars from 6 July 2022 to be fitted with technology to stop speeding.

Known as intelligent speed assistance (ISA), the system will warn drivers when they’re over the speed limit, or can actively prevent the car from speeding by controlling the car’s throttle input through its computer.

ISA will use both cameras and GPS map data to determine the speed limit on each road.

When ISA detects the car is over the limit, it may induce visual and audible warnings, as well as haptic feedback through the steering wheel or throttle pedal, or it may begin accelerating the vehicle if no action is taken.

While the law does recommend drivers be able to switch off ISA “when a driver experiences false warnings or inappropriate feedback as a result of inclement weather conditions, temporarily conflicting road markings in construction zones, or misleading, defective or missing road signs,” it doesn’t make it a requirement.

Drivers slow to get the message about school zones

However, drivers will be able to intervene to override the safety technology, while rules have been introduced to limit the warnings emitted by the car.

In Australia, road sign recognition systems – which read and display speed limit signs on the instrument cluster or head-up display – can often misinterpret variable speed zones signs, such as time-sensitive 40km/h limits in school areas.

The NSW Department of Transport began trialling ISA technology back in 2010, and found the system reduced speeding in 89 per cent of trial vehicles, which travelled more than 7.5 million kilometres with the technology fitted.

Using data collected during the trial, the University of Adelaide’s Centre for Automotive Safety Research created modelling which showed serious and fatal crashes could be reduced by approximately 19 per cent in Australia if ISA was mandatory on all cars – equating to around 200 lives saved per year.

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