New speed limiter technology hitting roads this month will ‘limit engine power’
Motorists could be affected by new speed limiter tools coming into effect for all new cars in Europe this weekend.
New speed limiter tools set to be rolled out on UK roads this July can “step in” and “limit engine power” if motorists break the rules, according to experts.
Intelligent Speed Assistant (ISA) tools became mandatory on every new car sold in Europe from July 7 under a dramatic new driving law.
Although the UK has already left the EU, manufacturers are likely to keep the tech on cars sold in the UK with many brands already having software installed.
Firms will still have a range of options for their ISA tech with brands only required to install an audio or visual warning if limits are crossed.
However, brands will have the option to install more intrusive technology which can take a more direct control.
Giovanni Giancaspro, Segment Manager for ADAS and Automated Driving at TomTom explained: “This landmark piece of vehicle safety tech will act as a warning to drivers, informing them that they are exceeding the speed limit and thereby giving them the option to reduce their speed.
"This is possible because ISA tech uses two data sources to inform the driver of the speed limit: vehicle sensors, such as cameras, and mapping technologies.
"This adds an extra layer of awareness to a vehicle, allowing it to understand the speed limit on any given road and warn drivers when they exceed it."
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“Speed limiters or speed control functions are not mandatory under the new EU law mandating Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA). This is a feature that can be introduced in the design by car manufacturers but is completely optional under the law."
The European Commission explains firms can introduce a “supportive” ISA which will increase upward pressure on the accelerator pedal.
However an “intervening or mandatory ISA” prevents any speeding by taking even more extreme measures.
This could be from reducing the fuel injection or requiring a “kick-down” if a motorist wants to exceed the limit.
The EU has previously claimed ISA technology could reduce fatalities by around 19 to 28 percent.
They warned that the benefits could be larger on urban roads or if more intervening forms of ISA are applied.
Giovanni added: “The law also sets a high accuracy threshold which OEMs are meeting using a combination of camera image recognition and maps. While not required, there's much to be gained through collaboration with mapping providers for greater accuracy.”
