As UK says it’ll follow EU road rules after Brexit... Speed limiters in new cars in just three years

ALL new cars will soon be fitted with anti-speeding technology as part of a major safety shake-up.

In just three years, new models will need to have ‘Intelligent Speed Assistance’ software installed as standard under tough new rules.

These systems can stop the car from exceeding the limit of the road they are on or slowly lower the speed if the driver passes from, for example, a 40mph to 30mph zone.

Motorists can still go above the limit – if they need to overtake for instance – by pressing down harder on the accelerator.

But to discourage speeding for any length of time, an alert will sound and a warning sign will appear on the dashboard, similar to if the driver is not wearing his or her seatbelt.

ISA is one of almost 30 new features all cars will have to adopt regarding car safety, the European Parliament has announced. The reforms are likely to be brought in by the UK too, which has agreed to mirror EU rules on vehicle safety standards even after Brexit.

The technology was disputed by AA president Edmund King, however. He said: ‘The best speed limiter is the driver’s right foot and the driver should use it to do the right speed in the right situation.’

The Department for Transport has said it expects the mandatory technology will simply alert drivers going over the limit, but it is believed some models will also be fitted with software to actively limit the car’s speed.

Lorries, trucks and buses already have mandatory topspeed limiters.

These should remain but be accompanied by ISA, the European Parliament said.

Other innovations set to be adopted include automatic emergency braking, devices to keep motorists in lane if they start to veer and advanced driver distraction warnings.

Cars will also have to be designed so they can easily be fitted with an ‘alcohol interlock device’ – which requires convicted drink-drivers to blow into a breathalyser before the vehicle can start.

The safety features will become mandatory in all new models launched from May 2022. Existing models sold after May 2024 will have to be updated to include this new technology.

The European Parliament claimed the shake-up will save ‘thousands of lives’ and ‘ help drivers avoid speeding tickets’. Campaign group Brake hailed it as a ‘landmark day’ and the ‘bigto gest leap forward for road safety this century’.

Almost 1,800 people died on UK roads in 2017 and more than one million people a year are now attending speed awareness courses to avoid prosecution and points on their licence. But the AA said it should be left up to drivers to control their speed and that it is sometimes unsafe drive below the speed limit. Company president Edmund King described his reservations about systems that actively limit the speed of a car after trying the technology in London.

He said the speed limiter kicked in at just 30mph when he was in the outside lane trying to join a motorway: ‘I tried to accelerate to match the speed of the traffic. Alas the ISA kicked in at just 30mph and I felt very vulnerable and scared as a Saab undertook me and probably thought I was a complete idiot driving at such a slow speed.’

He said there was ‘no doubt’ in-car technology can save lives, but said he thinks that the case for ISA is ‘not so clear’.

The legislation still has to be formally approved but is expected to pass in September.

‘Landmark day for road safety’