Mandatory Speed Limiters Are Coming for New Cars in Europe, U.K.
Long-mooted Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA) devices are now little more than a week away for European drivers, with their fitment becoming a legal requirement beginning July 7.
Even in this post-Brexit world, U.K. motorists aren’t exempt. The country may now be forging a slightly wobbly path on its own, but with most cars still heavily influenced by European regulations, whether imports or exports, the speed limit law will still apply in the U.K.
In effect, the ISA will use a mix of GPS data and traffic sign recognition cameras, technology already fitted to the vast majority of new vehicles, to determine what the speed limit is down a given road, and then apply varying levels of electronic intervention to encourage a driver to stick to that speed limit.
That doesn’t necessarily mean a hard limiter, and the technology can still be overridden by pressing down harder on the accelerator—a vital safety feature in some driving conditions, so the ISA tech won’t outright prevent people from going above the limit if they need (or want) to.
But it does mean all cars will deliver some kind of warning and electronic intervention, from audible and visual warnings—think repetitive dinging noises, flashing speed limit warnings, or signs in the instrument cluster—to physical cues like the accelerator pedal subtly pushing back on your foot, or even a soft limiter a little like those already used in combined cruise control and speed limiter systems, which will relax engine power as you approach the local limit.
Several manufacturers already implement this tech to varying degrees, so it’s certainly not a new phenomenon—the likes of Volvo and Renault already limit their top speeds to 112 mph. That’s well above all European speed limits, but lower than the cars are often capable of, and far below the 155 mph that has defined most German cars for so long.
As well as being able to override the newly mandated limiter while you’re driving, drivers will still have the option to deactivate it completely. Like other safety features, such as city emergency braking and lane departure warning, however, the ISA will reactivate every time you start your car, so you’d better hope the off-button is somewhere convenient.
The aim, of course, is improved road safety, with “exceeding the speed limit” deemed a contributing factor in around a fifth of U.K. road fatalities in 2022, according to the British government’s figures.
The European Commission still puts the onus on the driver to heed the ISA’s warnings, recognize the local speed limit, and adhere to it themselves, though that’s easy for them to say; many drivers who have already lived with such systems have stories to tell of ISAs picking up the wrong speed and slowing the car down in an inopportune place—surely more dangerous than an ISA overestimating the limit and a driver creeping a little too fast.
Interestingly, the law doesn’t just apply to brand new cars, but also to any unregistered cars lingering on lots after the law passes, so buyers considering a new car might make that deal before July 7 as dealers try and shift stock that may be harder to sell after the ISA has been retrofitted or activated.
Thankfully, the law doesn’t apply to cars already on the roads, and as yet there are no plans, motions, or schemes to suggest anything like an ISA might be fitted to older vehicles. The law still applies, of course, so speed limiter or not you’ll still be constrained by the same rules (including the same laws of physics, so safe driving should still be a priority), but few classic owners will miss having yet another electronic device to nag at them on every journey.
Similar laws have been proposed in the U.S., most notably in California, although the state appears to be several years away from making such speed-restricted new-car sales a reality.
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Just more garbage to charge people for and to distract them from the art of driving.
Yes, my CX60 insists on 10mph in road works when the limit is 50 as it “Sees” the limit posted for the construction staff. then bings and flashes because I am doing 50.. Technology is not smart enough at the moment to be dependent on cameras. My previous Merc C class also read the “50” sign on the back of trucks as the speed limit ..lol
I will be keeping my low tech 2002 Dodge ram 2500 with it’s 12mpg fuel usage until I die as long as I can get parts for it. Granted, I only drive less than 5000 miles a year (I work from home) but aside from no car payment and low insurance, all of these new “we’re from the government and we’re here to help you” rules are too intrusive.
I didn’t mind having features like this available for those that want them, but I like driving 5 over the limit, use My cruise often, and have no desire to pay extra because a few people can’t behave themselves.
Why is it the laws seem to punish law abiding people through restrictions or higher costs! Maybe they need to come up with a means to add such a limiter to those that get speeding tickets, just like they do for DUI.
You call yourself law abiding but also state you like to drive over the speed limit. So you prefer rules that just don’t apply to you? Rules for thee but not for me is always a terrible look.
Based on your previous comments, it seems that you like waving the “nanny – holier than thou” finger whenever possible. Apparently, you also like making incorrect assumptions, too.
I’m not holier than anyone. Pointing out when people are hypocritical should be more commonplace. This world is lousy with people who think they are the exception to any rule they don’t like and it’s getting annoying.
It’s one thing to not like speed limits, but when we got our driver’s licenses (because driving is a privilege, not a right) we agreed to follow the rules of the road. It’s black and white. You either follow them or you don’t. If a person thinks “Yeah, but I’m a better driver so the rules don’t apply to me” they are part of the problem. You want higher speed limits? There is a path to making that change. Get involved and get the rules changed. Ignoring the rules is not the solution. “But everyone does it” people decry. Fine, then change the rule so everyone knows what they are supposed to do. The most frustrating experience driving is doing things correctly and following the rules of the road and then getting yelled at by people who think the rules of the road are just guidelines.
Some people cannot survive daily life without some form of government intervention………..then you have the ones that look for any forum where they can spew their love for government intervention.
Whoa there. I want the goverment to stay out of my life as much as possible too.
There is a middleground between government overlords controlling everything we can say and do and total anarchy. We should strive to find said middleground. We live in a society. There has to be some basic guardrails.
What I am saying is if there are going to be speed limits, we should all follow them like we agreed to when we got our driver’s licenses. Otherwise, why have the speed limits? Follow the speed limits or advocate to remove them. It’s that easy.
Personally no speed limits sounds like it might take a year or two to sort out, but I’ve got patience. Who wants to help write the bill and lobby?
I wonder what these systems will add cost wise to vehicles? Perhaps that money would be better spent on red light & speed cameras in safety zones and problematic areas.
More useless safety “features” that no one needs.
I have version of this system on my C-8 Corvette and it is very unobtrusive and doesn’t bother me at all. No audio but it turns everything red with a message “speed limit exceeded”. I think I might even have set the speed that it warns me I’m exceeding which is 80. I’ll often see it briefly while passing or on Interstates where I don’t like to exceed 10 over.
Everything old is new again…
My 1968 Wildcat had a “Speed Alert” feature that ostensibly was the same idea. A small control knob on the dash moved a secondary needle on the speedo. You set it to whatever number you wanted and once you surpassed that speed an irritating buzzer alerted everyone in the car to your miscreant behavior. Perhaps an early version of public “shaming.”
A cording to my originalwindow sticker it was an $8.50 (USD) feature back in ’68 which is about $78 today. Any guesses which feature is more effective and cost efficient?