EU requires cars come with tech that slows cars when speeding, UK opts out
Required automotive safety feature in the European Union will slow cars when speeding, and is expected to reduce fatal car crashes by up to 12%.
All new cars and trucks sold within the European Union and Northern Ireland after July 6, 2024, will be mandated to have safety technology activated to let drivers know they are speeding by beeping, vibrating or even slowing the vehicle down, to prevent car crashes.
The United Kingdom has chosen not to require intelligent speed assistance (ISA) to be used on its roads, though the safety feature will still be installed on vehicles and drivers will have the option to activate the technology each day.
ISA technology uses a camera on the front of the vehicle that can read speed limit signs. The information from the signs, along with GPS mapping data in the vehicle’s software, help the car with knowing which speed limit is in place where the vehicle is traveling.
Once the driver breaks the speed limit, ISA will either beep or vibrate the speed limit to let the driver know they are speeding.
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If the driver does not slow down, the technology will then take over and reduce the speed of the vehicle to the posted speed limit.
The Telegraph reported that Ford and other manufacturers have been offering ISA as an option since 2015, and since 2022, all new cars in Europe have required ISA to be installed.
The European Transport Safety Council estimates that ISA will reduce collisions by 30% and deaths by 20%.
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According to the safety council’s website, the technology will also help drivers avoid speeding tickets.
Leeds University said in a study that the U.K. could see a 12% decline in injuries caused by vehicle crashes, with ISA in place.
The European Union moved to require vehicles to have ISA technology in 2018.
It estimated at the time that every year, 25,000 people died on the roads, adding it was up to the EU to take action to reduce the number of deaths.