The European Union is considering a proposal to mandate satellite-enforced speed limits on all new cars sold after 2030. The Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) system is already mandatory on all cars sold in the European Union, displaying the speed limit, emitting a sound if you go over, and adjusting your speed on cruise control. However, the EU wants to take it a step further by using satellite positioning and onboard sensors to determine the car's location, compare it with the local speed limit, and reduce power if the driver is speeding.
Supporters of this technology believe it could significantly reduce road casualties. On the other hand, drivers are likely to resist this proposal, as it may be seen as an overreach of government control. Today's ISA systems typically use a combination of cameras, GPS data, and maps to determine the speed limit. Since July 2024, all new cars sold in the EU have had to be fitted with ISA. In its current form, drivers can override or disable it, although it typically turns itself back on whenever the car restarts.
View Price on AmazonThese systems usually work well enough as a warning layer, but they are not infallible and sometimes do get the speed limit wrong. That can be significant in a car that is no longer just telling you what it thinks the speed limit is, but actively enforcing it. A misread sign or a bad map update is annoying today, but it could become a safety problem tomorrow if this technology is implemented. The obvious nightmare scenario is a car traveling at highway speed suddenly deciding it has entered a 30 mph zone.
Thatcham Research warns that the current approval test does not fully reflect how these systems behave in the real world. A car can pass the EU's distance-based ISA test while still making repeated mistakes at actual speed limit changes. Under the current EU approval process, ISA systems are judged by their accuracy over a driven distance, but Thatcham says that does not reflect what drivers experience when the limit changes.
The EU has already required new cars to carry more safety tech, including speed warnings, drowsiness detectors, distracted driving warnings, and event data recorders. It now even mandates that all new cars come with wiring for an alcohol-detecting interlock. Consumer groups, automakers, and enthusiasts have all decried these proposals as "nanny tech" and pushed back against what they consider overreach.
Source: insideevs.com
