Speed limiters mandatory throughout EU

The EU has now introduced laws stipulating that all new cars must be fitted with Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology as standard, although the UK government has not yet confirmed whether the same rules will apply here.

The speed-limiting systems use GPS, sat-nav and cameras to identify the legal limit and will warn drivers to slow down.

Tim Camm, technical training manager at Autoglass, said: “It is [now] mandatory for all new cars in the EU to include automatic emergency braking (AEB), a pivotal milestone in the roll-out of car safety technology and another step closer towards an autonomous future. It is only a matter of time before the UK follows suit and makes more of these advanced safety features compulsory in UK cars, and so it is essential that drivers and the industry alike prepare for these changes regarding how drivers control their vehicles while on the road.

“This new safety technology will undoubtedly save the lives of many motorists, passengers, and pedestrians. Through GPS, sensors, and cameras, the smart technology can quickly assess the speed limit, alert the driver to slow down, or stop the vehicle where necessary.

“AEB and other safety technology such as lane departure warnings have already become more common on UK roads in recent years despite them not being compulsory, so it is essential drivers are educated on how to use and maintain this safety technology. The front facing camera is attached to the windscreen and must be correctly recalibrated after any windscreen work to ensure they are working correctly. It is important these sensors are recalibrated by properly trained technicians to avoid the dangerous situation of a driver relying on a sensor which may not be scanning the road correctly.

“Safety technology is constantly evolving. When seatbelts were first introduced, they were only mandatory for the driver, but over time we grew to recognise that the passenger seats were even more vulnerable and soon the regulations changed to reflect this. Today, we have innovative safety solutions like AEB and we’ll soon see other innovations like fatigue warning systems become the norm.”