Simply put, Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) is a safety feature designed to inform drivers of the current speed limit.
Will the UK make Intelligent Speed Assistance mandatory?
It has recently been reported that all newly launched models sold in EU countries will need to feature Intelligent Speed Assistance by default. This is a new law that came into effect on the 6th July 2022, whereby, all vehicles will require this technology to be approved for them to go on sale in accordance with general safety regulations. However, new vehicles that have been presented in showrooms will have until 7th July 2024 to retrofit Intelligent Speed Assistance in their models. Since Britain left the EU on 31st January 2020, it will certainly be interesting to see if we will follow the EU in making the technology mandatory within the UK. According to a Department for Transport spokesperson, “no decision has yet been taken on which elements of the package will be implemented in Great Britain.” However, several manufacturers release the same versions of cars to both the EU and UK. So it is very likely that there will be more cars equipped with ISA by default on British roads.
How does Intelligent Speed Assistance work?
ISA works by essentially limiting the speed of the vehicle in accordance with the speed limit by reducing the power supplied to the engine. It is powered by the use of speed sign identification technology, sensors and GPS data.
Can you override or turn off Intelligent Speed Assistance?
ISA will be featured in new EU vehicles released from the beginning of July. It can be overridden by pushing your foot on the accelerator with more force to bypass the speed limiter temporarily. In some cars, you can toggle the safety feature off within the vehicle’s user interface.
If you're lucky enough to be buying a brand new car this year, it could come with ISA as standard and a 22 reg number plate. Make your new car really stand out by buying a private number plate.
Sources used for the infographic:
[1] - https://www.tomtom.com/use-cases/intelligent-speed-assistance
[2] - https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/103530/eu-demands-speed-limiters-all-new-cars-know-rules-and-how-they-work
[3] - https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/statistics-and-analysis/statistics-and-analysis-archive/esafety/intelligent-speed-adaptation-isa_en
[4] - https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/features/intelligent-speed-assistance-everything-you-need-know
[5] - https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/vehicle-speed-compliance-statistics-for-great-britain-2021/vehicle-speed-compliance-statistics-for-great-britain-2021
