Manufacturers call for UK to make speed limiters compulsory following EU regulation
UK car makers have called on the government to follow in the EU’s footsteps and make speed limiters a mandatory feature for all new cars, as the UK has yet to decide whether to adopt the legislation.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMM) argued it would only make sense for Westminster to adopt the legislation given the interconnectedness between the EU and UK markets.
“The UK has some of the safest roads in the world, but action to improve our record still further should be welcomed,” said SMMT’s chief executive Mike Hawes.
“With the heavily integrated nature of the UK and European automotive sectors, regulatory divergence is not advantageous for either party.”
The legislation will be applicable to all new models launched in the EU from today, while cars already on the market will have until July 2024 to be retrofitted.
Speed limiters – also known as Intelligent Speed Assist – are seen as a milestone in the roll-out of car safety technology, as they will help motorists stick to traffic laws.
Through the use of GPS and sign-recognition cameras, the ISA technology curtails the vehicle’s speed, bringing it below to the allowed limit.
Drivers will still be able to overturn the technology by pressing on the accelerator.
“While some people will be understandably nervous about the mandatory introduction of ISA, it’s important to note that it can be manually overridden,” said CarSite’s senior editor Dan Powell.
“Some cars already feature this tech already and feedback from owners is generally positive.”
According to Autoglass technical training manager Tim Camm, speed limiters “will undoubtedly save the lives of many motorists, passengers and pedestrians.”