New speed limiters are set to be introduced in the UK in July, as the European Union directive seeks to make roads safer for drivers and reduce car accidents. Recent data has found that on the whole, drivers are accepting of the new Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA) technology, although elderly motorists disagree with them because it is a law from the EU.
The European Commission provisionally mandated that all new vehicles sold in Europe will be fitted with a speed limiter from July 2022.
Despite leaving the EU after Brexit, the UK looks likely to follow suit, having retained most EU laws relating to new vehicles for the ease of manufacturing.
Lorna Connelly, Head of Claims at Admiral, commented on the introduction of the speed limiters and how drivers have reacted to the news.
She said: “It’s encouraging to see that almost half of people are welcoming the new ISA technology because they want to see speeding addressed to improve road safety.
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The speed limiters will work using either a video or GPS system to detect speed signs and alert drivers if they are going too fast.
It has not yet been decided how the technology will alert the driver with concerns over a number of recommendations.
Experts have been critical of the use of visual alerts such as a flashing light on the dashboard, with fears that it could distract the driver, or that it could be completely ignored.
Audible alerts have also been slapped down, with manufacturers saying motorists could easily disregard the noise until it eventually turns off.
Currently, the ISA technology can be switched off, although authorities may look to scrap that option in the future.
Lorna Connelly continued, saying: “It seems like the younger generation are more safety conscious than older drivers, with people aged between 18 and 34 nearly twice as likely to agree with speed limiters than people aged 55 or older.
“People aged 65 and over were most likely to disagree with them due to the UK no longer being in the EU, while just 42 percent of 18 to 34-year-olds who disagreed said the same.
“Two thirds of people in London agreed with the legislation, which is considerably higher than the national average of 47 percent.
“Additionally, a third of people living in Northern Ireland disagree, making it the region most likely to oppose the introduction of ISA, and 63 percent said this is because motorists should be able to choose how fast they go.”
Even when the ISA system is on, there are some circumstances when you can override it, including if a driver is overtaking on a road where there’s a decrease in speed limit.
After alerting the driver, the car should automatically start to slow down, but by pushing down hard on the accelerator, motorists can override the system and complete the manoeuvre safely.
The alerts will stay on for the duration that a driver is above the speed limit.