Mandatory speed limiters on cars from 2022

Mandatory speed limiters are to be fitted to all cars, vans, trucks and buses sold in Europe from 6th July, 2022. Motorbikes, however, will not yet have a speed limiter installed as the technology needs to be adapted.
Many manufacturers, notably Ford and Jaguar, have already begun to include the factory-fitted equipment in some of their vehicles.

Having this technology installed in all new cars is a legal requirement that’s been put in place by the European Commission as part of the General Safety Regulation to keep cars within UK speed limits, boost road safety and mitigate accidents. 

Despite the fact the UK has now left the EU due to Brexit, it has been confirmed the UK will still utilise this new technology in the near future.

What is a speed limiter?

You may have automatically associated a speed limiter with another version of a black box, and it’s not too far off, but the technology is far more sophisticated.

Just like a black box, it acts as a form of safety device that prevents you from going over a specified speed limit that you have pre-set.

This also may sound similar to cruise control, however with a speed limiter you can still use your accelerator as you normally would as long as you don’t go above the specified speed limit.

How does a speed limiter work? 

The Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology uses a combination of GPS data and traffic sign recognition cameras to calculate the maximum speed permitted in the area you’re driving.

The system can then limit the engine's power and therefore your vehicle's speed to that limit, and they are also able to send haptic, audio and visual warnings until you start driving within the specified speed limit.

It’s possible to override the system if you continue pressing on the accelerator, however it will reset every time you restart the car. 

The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has also stated that if the driver continues to go above the speed limit, the system should sound a warning for a few seconds and display a visual warning until the vehicle operates at or below the speed limit again.

Can you remove a speed limiter?

You’re able to switch the speed limiter off, however it will re-activate when the car is switched on.

Why are speed limiters becoming compulsory in cars?

This new technology is being implemented to reduce road traffic collisions. Research conducted by the ETSC estimates this will reduce collisions by 30% with cars being fitted with these speed limiters.