Intelligent Speed Assistance: A New Safety Feature for EU Vehicles

Starting in 2024, all new cars and trucks sold within the European Union and Northern Ireland will be required to have intelligent speed assistance (ISA) technology installed. This technology uses a camera and GPS data to read speed limit signs and alert drivers when they are speeding. If the driver does not slow down, ISA can even slow the vehicle down to the posted speed limit.

Starting in 2024, all new cars and trucks sold within the European Union and Northern Ireland will be required to have intelligent speed assistance (ISA) technology installed. This technology uses a camera and GPS data to read speed limit signs and alert drivers when they are speeding. If the driver does not slow down, ISA can even slow the vehicle down to the posted speed limit.

ISA technology has been shown to be effective in reducing collisions and deaths. The European Transport Safety Council estimates that ISA will reduce collisions by 30% and deaths by 20%. Leeds University said in a study that the U.K. could see a 12% decline in injuries caused by vehicle crashes with ISA in place.

The European Union moved to require vehicles to have ISA technology in 2018. It estimated at the time that every year, 25,000 people died on the roads, adding it was up to the EU to take action to reduce the number of deaths.

ISA technology will be installed on all new cars and trucks sold within the European Union and Northern Ireland after July 6, 2024. Drivers will have the option to activate the technology each day.

The United Kingdom has chosen not to require ISA to be used on its roads, though the safety feature will still be installed on vehicles. Drivers in the UK will have the option to activate the technology each day.

Ford and other manufacturers have been offering ISA as an option since 2015. Since 2022, all new cars in Europe have required ISA to be installed.

ISA technology uses a camera on the front of the vehicle that can read speed limit signs. The information from the signs, along with GPS mapping data in the vehicle’s software, help the car with knowing which speed limit is in place where the vehicle is traveling.

Once the driver breaks the speed limit, ISA will either beep or vibrate the speed limit to let the driver know they are speeding. If the driver does not slow down, the technology will then take over and reduce the speed of the vehicle to the posted speed limit.

ISA technology can help drivers avoid speeding tickets. The European Transport Safety Council estimates that ISA could help drivers avoid up to 100,000 speeding tickets each year.

ISA technology is a new safety feature that is designed to reduce collisions and deaths. It is expected to be a valuable addition to the safety features that are already available on vehicles.