Drivers rush to 'modify' cars to escape impact of new driving law

Drivers rush to 'modify' cars to remove impact of new driving law
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Speed limiters are now fitted on all new cars as a new European Union rule affects UK drivers. Speed limiters will now be fitted on almost all UK cars due to a new EU rule introduced earlier this year - in yet another shake-up to our roads.

All new cars that are launching or have been launched in the EU need to be fitted with an Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA). Chris Adams, Group Operations Director at Brindley Group said EU limiters were now in force. Chris explained: “Unlike manual speed limiters that are on higher-end trim levels, the EU-mandated limiters are active when the car is turned on and apply a limit automatically by using GPS to detect the speed limit on the road you’re on.”

Chris added: “The effectiveness of each strategy will be assessed so that the most effective becomes mandatory in the future. Drivers will be able to turn off the ISA manually, but it will reactivate every time the car is turned on, much like Start-Stop technology.”

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This means any existing unregistered cars on forecourts will have to be retrofitted with a speed limiter before they can be sold. This mandate comes after the European Commission's legislation that made it a legal requirement for all new vehicles sold in Europe to be fitted with a speed limiter from July.

The speed limiter technology, called Intelligent Speed Assistant (ISA) uses GPS data and/or traffic-sign-recognition cameras to determine the maximum speed allowed in an area. The system then limits the engine’s power and the vehicle’s speed to that limit.

The speed limiter will send haptic, audio, and visual warnings until you start driving within the speed limits. You can override the system by pressing hard on the accelerator, but the system will reactivate every time the car is started.

Currently, the regulation permits you to switch the speed limiter off. The ISA will, however, be enabled when you switch your car on again, so it can’t be permanently disabled. Some may look at modifying their cars by getting the speed limiter removed.