Mandatory speed limiters to be fitted to all new cars within three years All new cars are set to be fitted with speed limiters after MEPs backed plans to make several safety systems […]

All new cars are set to be fitted with speed limiters after MEPs backed plans to make several safety systems compulsory.

The intelligent speed assistance (ISA) systems will use road sign recognition or GPS data to determine local speed limits and limit a vehicle’s speed to within that.

The mandatory fitting of ISA was approved by MEPs following proposals by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC).

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Life-saving

The ETSC says that making speed limiters mandatory will reduce traffic collisions by 30 per cent and could save 25,000 lives within 15 years of being introduced.

Under the proposal, all new cars sold from 2022 will be required to have ISA.

Drivers will be able to override the system by pushing hard on the accelerator but the ETSC recommends that if a driver remains above the limit for more than a few seconds audio and visual warnings should be activated until the speed is reduced.

The proposal also recommends that a “full on/off switch” should be fitted for the systems to “aid public acceptance at introduction”. This suggests that it eventually intends to remove the driver’s option to disable the system.

While the new rules will be applied to cars sold in the EU, the Vehicle Certification Agency, which approves cars for use in the UK, has said it plans to copy such EU rules post-Brexit.

Data logging

The proposal also calls for the fitting of data loggers to all cars as well as making autonomous emergency braking and lane-keep assist systems mandatory.

Commenting on the MEP’s backing for the systems, Josh Harris, director of campaigns for road safety charity Brake, said: “This is a landmark day for road safety. We now urge the final negotiations to take place as soon as possible, so we can make this step-change for road safety a reality.”