A new European Union Mandate will come into force on Sunday, July 7th, 2024, requiring a speed limiter on all new vehicles sold.
Although this law will not apply in Britain, introducing the technology will likely affect most new cars. Manufacturers will likely wait to modify new vehicle designs for the British market.
What is a Speed Limiter?
Known as Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA), it is a system that automatically restricts a vehicle’s speed.
It uses a combination of GPS tracking data, satellite navigation, and information on the road speed limits the vehicle is on.
If the driver travels over the speed limit, the system can reduce engine power until the speed drops to the road’s limit.
Controversially, post Brexit, the speed limiters will be included in new vehicles sold in Northern Ireland.
Can I switch off the Speed Limiter?
Current regulation allows drivers to turn the speed limiter off; however, the ISA will be enabled when the engine is switched on again.
This means that the ISA cannot be permanently disabled in new cars.
Why has a Speed limiter been introduced?
The European Union originally announced in 2019 that it would create a limiter on new car sales in member states to prevent deaths and injuries on roads across the continent.
The European Commission wrote the 2019/2044 ISA regulation following years of research into improving safety for drivers and other road users.
At the European Transport Safety Council they have claimed that vehicles using the ISA technology will reduce traffic collisions by 30% and road casualties by 20%.
It features in the EU’s plan to achieve zero road deaths by 2050.
Speed Limiter in the UK
However, the Department for Transport (DfT) has already stated that new cars sold in Great Britain will not be affected for the foreseeable future.
Despite the announcement from DfT, most manufacturers will include them in the vehicles sold in Britain. Major brands such as Ford, Renault, Volvo, and Honda all revealed that they already include a limiter in their range of vehicles.
RAC road safety spokesperson said about Speed Limiters
“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 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.”
How do I activate my Speed Limiter?
As a general rule of thumb, press the “LIM” key on the steering wheel to activate the speed limiter in most cars.
The currently driven speed is taken over as the speed limit. When switched on at a standstill or low speed, 30 mph is automatically set as the limit, and the marking in the speedometer is set to the corresponding speed.
Some vehicles can be controlled in the speed limit by the foot pedals up to the speed limit set.
To deactivate the speed limiter in your, press the “LIM” key on the steering wheel again.
The speed limiter is normally automatically deactivated if you switch off the engine.
Cruise Control & Active Cruise Control option.
Many cars are equipped with Cruise Control, a convenient feature that can be easily activated on the steering wheel.
The system holds a constant speed set by the driver, turning off when the brake is used, and smoothly resuming the set speed by pressing “RESUME” on the steering wheel.
Active Cruise Control uses cameras and radar to measure the distance from the vehicle ahead. In stop-and-go traffic, it helps by slowing you down automatically to a stop and then accelerating when it’s time to move again. The system can respond to sudden obstacles by applying the brakes.