All new cars will be fitted with speed limiters from 2022 under tough EU safety rules.

The Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) black boxes will use GPS to work out what the speed limit is and will then ensure the car doesn't break it.

New models will need to have an ISA fitted as standard within three years after the European Commission approved the legislation.

This will include cars in Britain even if Brexit happens because the UK's Vehicle Certification Agency said it will still mirror the EU rules - a move that's been confirmed by the Department for Transport.

The Intelligent Speed Assistance technology is variable, so it can respond to changing zones and restrict the vehicle's top speed accordingly

Zurich Insurance said the installation of limiters in all new cars would ultimately reduce the number of speed-related crashes in the UK, but warned it could spark a rise in other collisions.

Calum McPhail, head of liability claims at the insurer told This is Money that the introduction of ISA may lead to motorists 'assuming it is safe just to drive at the given road limit irrespective of the immediate environment - for instance outside schools - and in adverse weather conditions, such standing water caused by rain, fog and snow or ice.'

AA president Edmund King added that the 'best speed limiter is the driver's right foot' when used 'to do the right speed in the right situation'.

A spokesman said the Department for Transport is backing their introduction: 'We continuously work with partners across the globe to improve the safety standards of all vehicles. These interventions are expected to deliver a step-change in road safety across Europe, including the UK.'

The bill includes a raft of new safety measures that are now subject to the formal approval of the European Parliament and EU member states in September.

Cars will be have to be equipped with safety systems such as data loggers, autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, driver fatigue detection and reversing cameras or sensors.

All new models will need to have pre-wiring for alcohol interlocks to allow for the retrofit of in-car breathalysers for previously convicted drink drivers.

ISA technology works in conjunction with traffic-sign-recognition cameras and GPS data to determine the speed limit on the road the vehicle is being driven.

The system can then automatically adjust the restricted top speed by limiting the engine power.

AA president Edmund King said the best speed limiter is the driver's right foot as he blasted the proposed introduction of Intelligent Speed Assistance systems in all new cars

However, drivers should be able to override the system by pushing hard on the throttle - just in case they're overtaking another motorist who has decided to put their foot down.

The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) called for all cars to have a switch to turn the ISA on or off, though each time a vehicle is started the feature will automatically be active.

It will instantly tell the driver to reduce their speed when they're breaking the law.

If the driver continues to drive above the speed limit for several seconds, the system should sound an alert for a few seconds and display a visual warning until the vehicle is operating at or below the speed limit again, the transport safety council said.

The council is likely to push for there to be no off switch for the limiters once motorists have become accustomed to the systems.

Volvo will electronically limit the top speed of all its vehicles to 112mph from next year

The legislation is due to come into effect from May 2022 for models that have not yet been approved for production and May 2024 for new cars currently for sale.

The council has been pushing for the introduction of speed limiting technology, claiming it will help to curb road fatalities across the continent.

According to its estimations, limiters will be able to cut traffic collisions by 30 per cent, potentially saving up to 25,000 lives in the first 15 years of them being mandatory.

The news follows Volvo's decision at the beginning of March to restrict the top speed of all its new cars to 112mph from 2020 in an effort to eradicate all road deaths in its vehicles from 2020.

The Swedish brand will also install cameras in its cars from the early 2020s to monitor if drivers are drowsy or drunk - and bring the vehicle to a stop if this is the case.

The measures are subject to the formal approval of the European Parliament and EU member states in September.

And Brexit is unlikely to save UK motorists from the arrival of these limiters.

That's because car manufacturers are not expected to approve models separately for the UK market and the UK's Vehicle Certification Agency - the designated Approval Authority and Technical Service for vehicles in the UK - has previously said it intends to mirror EU rules post-Brexit no matter the outcome.

A DfT spokesman told This is Money: 'When the UK leaves the EU, it is expected the UK and EU technical standards will be aligned, including in a no deal scenario.

'This is to ensure consumers do not face increased costs for buying new vehicles.'

And Brexit is unlikely to save UK motorists from the arrival of these limiters as type approval for vehicles will mirror the EU

The systems will use GPS and traffic-sign-recognition cameras in the car the identify the top speed and limit how fast the vehicle can be driven in that zone

Commenting on the provisional deal, Antonio Avenoso, executive director of the ETSC said: 'There have only been a handful of moments in the last fifty years which could be described as big leaps forward for road safety in Europe.

'The mandatory introduction of the seat belt was one, and the first EU minimum crash safety standards, agreed in 1998 was another.

'If last night's agreement is given the formal green light, it will represent another of those moments, preventing 25,000 deaths within 15 years of coming into force.'

AA president Edmund King supported the introduction of the new safety measures but told Mail Online that motorists should be able to modulate their own speed.

'There is no doubt that new in-car technology can save lives and there is a good case for autonomous emergency braking to be fitted in all cars,' he told us.

Nine safety features to be mandatory in vehicles from 2022 Intelligent Speed Assistance Reversing cameras or parking sensors Advanced Emergency Braking (AEB) Event data recorder Drowsiness and distraction monitors Lane-keep assist Improved seatbelts Safety glass to protect cyclists and pedestrians Improved direct vision for trucks

'When it comes to Intelligent Speed Assistance the case is not so clear. 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 right speed is often below the speed limit, for example, outside a school with children around, but with ISA there may be a temptation to go at the top speed allowed which may not be appropriate.

'Sometimes a little speed also helps to keep safe on the road, for example, overtaking a tractor on a country road or joining a motorway.

'Dodgem cars are fitted with speed limiters but they still seem to crash.'

Traffic and navigation app Waze introduced a speed limiter function to its app last year to notify motorists when they were exceeding the restriction on roads.

It claimed that average speeds fell by two per cent globally as a result.

Finlay Clark, UK country manager for the app said: 'Often drivers aren't aware of speeds changing on a stretch of road or become a little complacent - by including a reminder and changing the icon to red when they exceed the limit, we saw the impact it had.

'More initiatives that help drivers stick to speed limits not only help improve air quality but can also reduce congestion.'

Restricted: The European Parliament, Council and Commission have approved legislation for speed limiters to be mandatory in the next three years

The RAC's road safety spokesperson Pete Williams said the introduction of speed limiters could be seen as a steppingstone in the journey to self-driving cars and welcomed advances in safety technology that might help reduce plateauing road death stats in the UK.

'Limiting speed may initially sound somewhat Big Brother-like, but as it stands the intention is for the technology to be overridable in certain situations – for example by pressing hard on the accelerator to complete an overtaking manoeuvre,' he explained.

Dodgem cars are fitted with speed limiters but they still seem to crash Edmund King, AA President

'In addition, vehicles will not brake automatically when going from a faster to a slower speed limit, meaning it will still be down to the driver to brake appropriately.

'But as the limiters can be overridden it naturally begs the question whether some drivers will do this regularly to bypass the system, potentially undermining some of the system's benefits.

'But just because a vehicle's speed is limited doesn't mean that drivers can accelerate as fast as they like up to the limit they are in. We should always drive at the right speed for the conditions, whether that's due to traffic, bad weather or other hazards.

'While there is much talk in these proposals about speed limiters, the greatest benefit may well be in technology that can prevent distractions and improve driver's concentration as this could massively improve road safety.'

Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot-Citroen, Renault and Volvo already have cars on the market with functioning ISA technology fitted.

Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders chief executive Mike Hawes added: 'Manufacturers invest billions in safety technology, often ahead of any regulation.

'Industry innovation and consumer appetite is already driving adoption, and many new cars are fitted with intelligent speed limiters and other new safety features such as autonomous emergency braking as standard.'