From July 7, 2024, all new cars launched in the European Union (EU) will be legally required to be fitted with a speed limiter. This is according to the 2019/2044 regulation by the European Commission. The rule will also apply to Northern Ireland, but not to Great Britain.
The speed limiter technology, known as Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA), uses GPS data and/or traffic sign recognition cameras to determine the maximum speed allowed in an area. The system then limits the engine’s power and the vehicle’s speed to that limit. Despite the speed limiters, the driver will still be responsible for adhering to the speed limits.
The speed limiter sends haptic, audio, and visual warnings until the driver starts driving within the speed limit. The system can be overridden by pressing hard on the accelerator, but it reactivates every time the car is started.
This mandate also means that any existing unregistered cars on forecourts will have to be retrofitted with a speed limiter before they can be sold. Many manufacturers, including Citroen, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Peugeot, Renault, and Volvo, have already started including factory-fitted ISA in some of their cars. The Renault Group has gone a step further by limiting the top speed of all new Renault and Citroen cars to 112 mph to increase safety.
This new regulation is seen as an important step in boosting road safety and standardizing the car manufacturing process for different markets. It also paves the way for the development of self-driving cars in the future.
Read more: www.autotrader.co.uk