The EU is aiming for all new European vehicles to be equipped with Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) by 2022, inhibiting speed automatically in accordance with local limits.
The technology uses a combination of cameras and GPS to detect the speed limit for a given stretch of road, then inhibits engine power to ensure drivers don’t stray over the limit. ISA can be overridden temporarily, for example when overtaking, by pressing the accelerator hard to the floor. The system can also be disengaged, though it will be operational by default every time a vehicle is started. It is estimated that widespread adoption could reduce the EU’s 25,000 road fatalities by around 20 per cent.
ISA is just one of several safety features the EU plans to introduce under its revised General Safety Regulation, the details of which have just been agreed. According to the Department of Transport, the UK will also adopt the measures, regardless of the outcome of Brexit. Other mandatory systems for cars under the new regulation will include a warning for driver distraction and drowsiness, cameras/sensors for reversing, advanced emergency braking, lane keeping assistance and a ‘black box’ data recorder for incident reporting.
“Every year, 25,000 people lose their lives on our roads,” said Poland’s Elżbieta Bieńkowska, EU Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs.
“The vast majority of these accidents are caused by human error. We can and must act to change this. With the new advanced safety features that will become mandatory, we can have the same kind of impact as when the safety belts were first introduced. Many of the new features already exist, in particular in high–end vehicles. Now we raise the safety level across the board, and pave the way for connected and automated mobility of the future.”
The General Safety Regulation has been formally agreed by the European Union and is now subject to ratification by the institution’s Parliament and Council. According to the EU, it expects that the proposed measures will help save lives and avoid at least 140,000 serious injuries by 2038. The EU’s long-term goal is to approach zero fatalities and serious injuries by 2050 under its ‘Vision Zero’ plan.
“This is a landmark day for road safety,” said Joshua Harris, director of campaigns for road safety charity Brake. “These measures will provide the biggest leap forward for road safety this century. These lifesaving measures come at a vital time, with road safety in a concerning period of stagnation with more than 70 people still being killed or seriously injured on British roads every day.”
The new directives were also praised by Richard Cuerden from the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory, an organisation that helped shape the regulations.
“The advanced safety measures for new vehicles will provide state of the art protection to all road users,” he said. “Intelligent Speed Assistance and Drowsiness and Distraction Recognition will support drivers in their ongoing tasks; Autonomous Emergency Braking and Emergency Lane Keeping will intervene in the most critical situations to avoid a crash; and improved crash tests will ensure that injuries of occupants as well as pedestrians and cyclists are minimised in the remaining collisions.”
How long will it take before some virus will be developed by the criminal minds that shuts the car down on demand. This should enable any one so intending to rob the occupants in a convenient place. Like all EU directives it’s trying to develop the Nanny stat of Europe where everyone obeys every edict.
This will be a criminal minds takeover of our cars.
Could be fun on the DE autobahns
While I have some “Nanny State” reservations, the appallingly dangerous driving I witness everyday certainly warrants such action.
I see plenty of stupidity at well below legal speed limits everyday, I wonder what percentage of fatalities are actually speed related.
Better driver education and tougher driving tests would be a better use of the capital investment.
I presume these measures being introduced will also be available “retrofitted” to older cars or the older non “nanny-state” cars will soar in value(particularly to the criminals)
The case for a bi-annual driving test for all drivers appears to be made. Those failing should be required to re-sit perhaps twice. Three strikes and they are back to carrying a P label until they succeed and probably be speed limited to 45mph. I suspect this would do wonders for easing traffic congestion and boosting public transport and bike sales.
Technical support and assistance for drivers is good, but don’t forget the periodic need (regular!) for driver education, re-education and training.
Don’t forget driver education and driver training. Technology imposed on its own will help, but driver behaviour and attitude is key.
Very true, Robert. As the system has a digital map of the speed limits, that needs to be able to update over time. As soon as internet connectivity is needed, that opens the door to viruses and hacking. There is no such thing as a 100% secure system.
Who gets to decide the speed limits? So often on “smart” motorways i see matrix boards flashing 40MPh for miles in advance due to a car sat in a lay-by (not on the motorway itself ,usually at non rush hour times).
I don’t particularly speed anyway but i get frustrated when someone imparts misery on thousands by reducing speed limits on motorways for trivial reasons
Will this apply to ALL vehicles HGV’s included? Will this be the end of “white van man” running us off the road? If it can be overridden by the driver what is the point??
The article states that this change will affect all new European vehicles from 2022. Does this include powered two-wheelers (motorcycles, scooters, etc.)? Limiting the power when a motorbike is going around a bend can affect the line the bike takes and the stability. I can’t see this being acceptable on safety grounds. Is this another case of sloppy terminology and it only applies to cars, vans and trucks, or have two-wheelers been forgotten about?
Presumably if every driver remembered and practised at all times the ‘code’ that they studied and demonstrated to pass their ‘test’ there would be no accidents! Join us old -fa**s’ who (according to others) are the reason for the terrible poor driving that ‘they’ have to demonstrate to get past us! [I do NOT want to tempt the fates, but 1 minor scrape (which resulted in my then girl-friend later becoming the lady who did me the honour of becoming Mrs B) since 1959 would suggest that slow and steady is the way forward. Accidents don’t happen, they are caused.
Wish they’d make an anti-tailgating device mandatory too.
They do. It’s called adapter cruise control which detects the distance of the car in front and adjusts the speed of the car to follow at the same speed.
I cannot see the link between the EU directive and criminal minds taking over our cars, or for that matter a nanny state.
Each country sets their own speed limits and decides how to enforce them; nothing to do with the EU.
This safety device gives people chance to reduce their speed and is already available on many new cars.
The EU directives have pushed all cars to be safer to level the playing the field, and avoid unscrupulous manufacturers cutting cost/safety.
I have two very effective speed control mechanisms, 1) threats from my wife, usually riding shotgun, 2) an old trusty Garmin satnav that pings at me if I go over the local speed limit . Otherwise I can see the point of all these but remain somewhat suspicious.
It’s going to make Police car chases very lengthy affairs then! I assume that Police cars and other emergency vehicles will probably be exempt.