Starting July 6, 2024, all new cars and trucks sold in the European Union and Northern Ireland will be required to come equipped with safety technology that alerts drivers when they are speeding. This technology can beep, vibrate, or even slow down the vehicle to help prevent accidents.
In contrast, the United Kingdom has decided not to mandate this intelligent speed assistance (ISA) on its roads. However, ISA will still be installed in vehicles, giving drivers the choice to activate it daily if they wish.
ISA operates using a front-facing camera that reads speed limit signs. This data, combined with GPS mapping in the vehicle's software, enables the car to know the current speed limits along the route.
When a driver exceeds the speed limit, ISA will either beep or vibrate to alert them. If the driver does not slow down, the technology can take control and reduce the vehicle's speed to match the posted limit.
According to The Telegraph, manufacturers like Ford have offered ISA as an option since 2015, and as of 2022, all new cars in Europe are required to have ISA installed.
The European Transport Safety Council anticipates that ISA will decrease collisions by 30% and fatalities by 20%. Additionally, ISA can help drivers avoid speeding tickets, according to the council's website.
A study conducted by Leeds University suggests that the U.K. could see a 12% decrease in crash-related injuries with ISA implementation.
In 2018, the European Union made ISA technology mandatory for vehicles, citing an annual death toll of 25,000 on the roads and the need for EU action to reduce fatalities.