Motorists face driving law changes with mandatory speed limiters brought in

Motorists are set to face a significant change in driving laws as 'mandatory' speed limiters will be introduced for all new cars starting from July. The changes, which take effect from July 6, will see vehicles equipped with intelligent speed assistance (ISA) systems that can automatically reduce speed if the driver is going too fast.

The new regulations, stemming from European Union and Northern Ireland directives, will require all cars sold in the UK to have ISA installed, irrespective of the manufacturing location. Graham Conway, managing director at Select Car Leasing, warned: "While it might seem like an innocent change to the car's set-up, doing so could have serious implications."

He cautioned that tampering with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems such as ISA could lead to severe consequences, including potentially voiding a car's warranty. Dr David Hynd, chief scientist at Transport Research Laboratory, praised the system, saying: "It stops me getting speeding fines. It saves me money on my fuel bill, which is always very welcome. But, best of all, it provides an extra set of eyes, which I find particularly helpful when I'm navigating new places, or the roads are busy.

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"ISA gives me head space and that makes me a better driver. On a motorway, I use ISA in conjunction with cruise control, and have been pleasantly surprised by how much less tired I am after a long journey when using this system."

According to the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), innovative technologies like ISA could potentially bring about a 30 per cent reduction in collisions. Industry bigwigs in the car manufacturing domain are also appreciative of such advancements, reports Birmingham Live.

Acknowledging this shift, Mike Hawes, president of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), stated: "Some manufacturers have already been offering these technologies to consumers ahead of any regulations, including Intelligent Speed Assistance, and will continue to do so across the UK."

However, he added caution saying, "With the heavily integrated nature of the UK and European automotive sectors, regulatory divergence is not advantageous for either party."

In its commitment to improving road safety and reducing casualties, The Department for Transport has reported ongoing reviews on related policies and commissioning research aimed at understanding the impact and implications of these technologies specifically in Great Britain, with updates to be provided in due course.

The adoption of such innovative technologies into legal requirement will call for involved consultations and legislative amendments to the GB type approval scheme.

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