UK CARS TO HAVE EU-MANDATED SPEED LIMITERS FITTED 'WITHIN DAYS', RAC SAYS

Motoring organisation the RAC has warned that it expects all new UK cars will be equipped with mandatory speed limiters from this weekend, urging drivers to get to grips with the technology to prevent any unexpected consequences whilst driving. The impending European Union Mandate takes effect on Sunday, July 7, prompting the RAC to say it believes vehicle manufacturers will implement the change in the UK as well due to increased costs associated with altering production lines.

From then on, motorists operating vehicles with this system will experience a decrease in engine power if they exceed speed limits, effectively being slowed down automatically. Despite Brexit, the RAC has indicated that the regulation, which doesn't apply directly to the UK, will still 'very likely' see British roads introducing the mechanism that caps a car's speed.

The scheme, named Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA), works by integrating GPS data, satellite navigation, and real-time speed limit information of the road the car is travelling on, ensuring speeds are maintained within legal limits across Europe. New cars sold in Northern Ireland will include these limiters.

Commenting on the development, RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis remarked: "While it's not currently mandated that cars sold in the UK have to be fitted with Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) systems, we'd be surprised if manufacturers deliberately excluded the feature from those they sell in the UK as it would add unnecessary cost to production."

"Anyone getting a new vehicle would be well advised to familiarise themselves with ISA and how it works. In practice, if a driver exceeds the speed limit, an audible warning is sounded and then the car's speed is automatically reduced. But a driver can still press hard on the accelerator to override it momentarily, for instance, to negotiate a hazard in the road ahead."

"But just because a vehicle's speed can be limited doesn't mean drivers should accelerate as fast as possible to the speed limit. It's important to always drive at the right speed for the conditions, whether that's due to traffic, bad weather or other hazards."

Originally announced in 2019 by the European Union to create a limiter for new cars sold in member states, the aim is to prevent deaths and injuries on roads across the continent. The 2019/2044 ISA regulation was written by the European Commission following years of research into improving safety for drivers and other road users, reports the Express.

The European Transport Safety Council has claimed that vehicles using the ISA technology will reduce traffic collisions by 30% and road casualties by 20%. It is part of the EU's vision to have zero road deaths by 2050.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has already confirmed that new cars sold in Great Britain won't be affected for the time being. Despite this, the RAC has stated that most manufacturers will include them in the vehicles sold in Britain, with big names like Ford, Renault, Volvo and Honda all disclosing that they are already incorporating a limiter in their range of vehicles.

2024-07-05T09:35:20Z dg43tfdfdgfd