Driver used new 'mandatory' speed limiter and other motorists were not pleased

Jamie Brassington
·3-min read
Testing out a 'speed limiter'
Testing out a 'speed limiter' -Credit:Jamie Brassington


Drivers face the prospect of having "limiters" installed in their cars in 2024. The technology, officially called Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), alerts and discourages motorists from surpassing the speed limit.

Following an EU rule change, ISA could be introduced in new cars sold at UK dealerships from July 7. The system operates by utilising GPS and traffic sign data to determine a driver's speed before activating safety measures within the car.

According to the EU, there are generally three modes of ISA, and the one you get depends on the configuration installed in your vehicle. The first type, deemed informative/advisory, simply flashes a warning sign on a driver's dashboard or emits an audible sound to alert them when they're speeding.

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The second type, labelled as supportive/warning, increases the resistance on the driver's accelerator - but this can be overridden by pressing down the pedal. The third type, referred to as intervening/mandatory, reduces the engine power by limiting a vehicle's fuel injection to stop drivers from exceeding the limit - the most stringent version of ISA.

The European Union's 'General Safety Rule (GSR)' has introduced regulations on Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA). Although the GSR hasn't been adopted in the UK yet, car manufacturers in Europe aren't removing ISA specifically for cars destined for the UK.

This means that British drivers will also be affected by this technology, reports Birmingham Live. We decided to put the theory of how speed limiters would function on our roads to the test in the West Midlands.

My car, which is over a decade old, already has an advisory form of ISA - but it only activates on the motorway. I drove around under the impression that I had a more advanced ISA system, suitable for all types of roads. It's always important to adhere to the speed limit, and I made sure to do so strictly.

What became apparent was some drivers' impatience with my speed. I was travelling down a 40mph A-road, wide and open through the countryside, when a yellow Highways Maintenance van came up very close behind me as I adhered to the speed limit.

The 40mph limit on the A-road continued for about half a mile until it merged into a dual carriageway where the national speed limit applied. The van driver stayed right on my rear bumper along the road until they could finally overtake.

Further down the road, in a 30mph zone through a residential area, a black Range Rover briefly tailgated me before turning off. Fortunately, such impatient drivers were in the minority compared to the more patient motorists.

Yet, it was evident that the ISA technology might lead to frustration for some drivers. The boundaries of speeding often appear as a grey area, with UK police forces typically allowing a tolerance of 10% plus 2mph over the speed limit when it comes to enforcing with speed cameras.

However, with the introduction of new ISA systems, especially those that reduce power, these grey areas will diminish. Motoring experts have expressed support for the implementation of ISA.

Graham Conway, Managing Director at Select Car Leasing, commented: "While modern Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA) systems are controversial, they're here to keep all of us safe on the road and their importance shouldn't be underestimated."

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