A MAJOR law change set to sweep in within months will see all new cars fitted with mandatory speed-reducing AI tech.
The devices will be able to detect when a driver is travelling over the speed limit and, in some cases, even automatically slow the vehicle.
It was back in 2022 that the EU passed a law requiring the introduction of “speed limiters” to motors in an effort to cut down on road deaths.
While it is a European law in origin, it has carried across to the statute book in the UK, meaning the tech must be fitted to any car sold here.
This will mostly take the form of Intelligent Speed Assist systems, which use AI, cameras and GPS to work out the speed limit on the surrounding road and adjust accordingly.
The definition of “speed limiters” in the law has been left quite vague but there are three main types of ISA, which include varying levels of driver choice.
The first is an informative ISA, which pops up a warning on the dashboard display showing the speed limit, often accompanied by a high-pitched noise similar to the one played when you leave your seatbelt off.
Then there are “supportive” ISAs, which will increase resistance in the brake pedal in addition to the warning symbol in an effort to make it harder to speed.
You could very easily void a manufacturer’s warranty
Graham Conway
And thirdly, there are intervening ISAs, which will actually slow the car down until it dips under the speed limit.
This is done by reducing power to the engine and does not involve any application of the brakes for safety reasons.
The law is set to take effect on July 6, after which all new cars must be fitted with some form of speed limiter system.
Manufacturers will have until the end of that month to retrofit models already in showrooms with the devices.
However, the UK has opted out of making it a legal requirement that the ISA system be enabled.
Most will be able to be switched off manually by the driver or overridden by pressing the accelerator, similar to cruise control or self-driving tech.
But, Graham Conway, motoring expert at Select Car Leasing, warned against taking that option, saying: “While it might seem like an innocent change to the car’s set-up, doing so could have serious implications.
“A car is fitted with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems like ISA for a very good reason, and a manufacturer could take a very dim view of that technology being bypassed.”
Graham also claimed: “You could very easily void a manufacturer’s warranty by doing so.”
It comes drivers were warned over a little-known dash cam mistake that could invalidate their insurance.
