Speed Limiters Come Into Force Across The EU. Could The UK Be Next?

9th July 2024

Between the General Election and European Championships it’s easy to overlook news stories garnering less attention this summer. Yet Sunday (7th July) marked an important date for the automotive industry and drivers across the continent.

That’s because this week signals the introduction of mandatory speed limiters on EU vehicles. A step-change five years in the making, MAT Foundry actually blogged on the subject back in 2019.

That Spring the European Parliament passed legislation designed to combat excessive traffic collisions and injuries, a move pre-empted by the European Transport Safety Council.

Cue the rise of Intelligent Speed Assistance Technology (ISA). Like cruise control, only different.

Before we delve into how that works and the actual laws firmed up since 2019 it’s important to state none of those regulations technically apply to the UK, which… in case you hadn’t heard, is no longer a member of the EU.

The reason they can’t be ignored however is because practically all manufacturers will have the software installed in new models, making it almost unavoidable. To remove ISA from cars destined for the UK is to add extra production costs. That’s like turkeys voting for Christmas, or Keir Starmer voting Conservative.

So, be in no doubt, British motorists can expect to encounter speed limiters on all new purchases. But how do they actually slow you down?

How Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) Technology Works

Speedometer ISA - MAT Foundry

In basic terms, a combination of forward-facing cameras, GPS data, satellite navigation and speed recognition cameras will conspire to ascertain what the speed limit is on any given road.

Between them, those tools will also gauge whether the travelling vehicle has exceeded that figure.

When tipping the speedometer, the car will automatically reduce power until the legal speed is realised. Mercifully, drivers will be forewarned…

To begin with, the accelerator pedal might be eased back ever so gently. More likely however is that one of three alerts will be triggered.

Manufacturers can choose to display a visual cue on instrument clusters or screens, sound an audible warning or enable a haptic notification that actually vibrates the steering wheel itself. A mixture of all three will presumably be possible and one way to inflict road rage.

Whatever the signal, drivers will be left in no doubt they’re getting a ticking off. If all of the above are ignored, the car will automatically proceed to slow down. Crucially though, it will never apply the brakes.

It’s worth noting all of these procedures are set to be reviewed in December 2025 to assess their effectiveness (or not).

Can Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) Technology Be Overridden?

The obvious follow-up question is whether you can cheat the system and perform an override? The answer is yes, but not without great difficulty and irritation...

Simply applying more pressure on the acceleration pedal will be enough to disengage ISA but only for so long. After a short period, the alerts will reappear, haunting you like the memory of rush hour on the M25.

Current EU legislation does allow ISA to be switched off but not permanently. Indeed, it will automatically reboot whenever an engine is restarted, meaning drivers will be forced to deactivate it before every journey.

How complicated that proves will be down to the make and model of your car. Either way, it’s likely to prove a hassle.

How Has Intelligent Speed Assistance Technology (ISA) Been Received?

Response to ISA has been lukewarm at best. Admiral canvassed the opinion of 2,000 motorists in 2022 and revealed only 47% wanted the software installed. 18% were actively against the idea, while 35% were undecided due to a lack of information.

Unsurprisingly 57% of respondents said it shouldn’t come into force on these shores due to Brexit. There are however some undeniable benefits.

The aforementioned European Transport Safety Council predict ISA will cut traffic collisions by as much a 30% and traffic casualties by 20%.

The World Health Organisation have also weighed into the debate, revealing that for every 1% increase in speed there is a 3% increase in serious car crashes, along with a 4% rise in fatal accidents.

Those are compelling numbers and data that surely inspired the lofty ambition of there being no deaths on EU roads by 2050.

That would obviously prove the ultimate pay-off but other benefits are clear, not least reduced pollution due to motorists travelling at lower speeds. Journey times should also be reduced owing to less collisions/delays. Finally fuel consumption, along with its financial burden, would naturally decrease.

Intelligent Speed Assistance Technology (ISA) Downsides

ISA Speedometer - MAT Foundry

But drawbacks also exist, both in theory and practice. The fear of recognition cameras failing is a very real one and consumer researchers Which? uncovered ‘multiple instances’ of ISA incorrectly registering one speed for another, including several where 30mph zones were mistaken for 80mph stretches. That presents all kinds of risks.

German Automotive Vehicle Assessment Specialists ADAC were slightly more positive when testing ISA in a Ford S-Max MPV, albeit on German roads. They found it to be 90% accurate, which still leaves room for error.

Further downsides include the inevitable loss of signal on rural roads, long stretches of terrain without signage and concerns an over-reliance will lead to a loss of concentration. After all, there is no substitute for human intervention.

At this point, ISA is also vulnerable to variable driving conditions which always dictate speeds. The AA’s Jack Cousens expanded on this.

“ISA works across all speed limits but is only an assistance tool to help drivers stay within the limit”, he explained. “Drivers will still need to be aware of the speed limit, control their own speed and drive according to the conditions. Just because you are on a motorway doesn’t mean you should still drive at 70mph if it’s pouring with rain.”

As a Labour government fills the front benches of parliament time will tell if they decide to mandate speed-limiting tech. The outgoing Conservative regime had resisted but Neil Greig, Policy Advisor at Road Safety Charity IAM RoadSmart has urged a re-think.

“We would urge whoever forms the next UK government to adopt the same safety regulations as the rest of Europe quickly to avoid consumer confusion and provide car makers with certainty”, he said.

Recent and alarming data may well convince the UK to keep pace with the EU on this front. Across 2022 there was a 10% increase in road deaths compared to the previous 12 months. Almost 20% of fatal collisions (19.7%) were a result of speed limits being breached.

While Labour’s next move remains to be seen the world’s leading automakers have long prepared for this transition.

Indeed, as we previewed in 2019, Volvo have been installing ISA since the beginning of 2020. All Renault and Dacia models have encompassed the tech since 2022 and now the likes of Citroen, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Jaguar, Peugeot and Vauxhall are braced.

From July last year every new model introduced to the market must have speed limiters included. From this week, any new vehicles featured in showrooms will need them retrofitted, even those dating back almost a decade.

ISA is inevitable. Let's hope it's impactful too.