The speed limiter is a device installed on cars that is designed to come into operation when the maximum speed limit is exceeded. The system, which is part of the mandatory ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), will not act mechanically on the car to reduce its speed.
How the speed limiter will work
The speed limiter which will be incorporated into new cars, is a cutting-edge mechanism. It combine the data provided by GPS with the information collected by cameras installed on board the car and allows you to determine the speed limits of the road by reading the signs and checking the progress of the vehicle. It emits a signal to the driver – through sensory signals – every time the speed limit is exceeded expected on the road you are driving on. This warning may be displayed through a sound, a vibration of the steering wheel or through other types of notifications, which will allow the driver to maintain control and reduce the risk of automatic and emergency deceleration of the vehicle.
Despite the use of advanced technologies, some test carried out with the speed limiter they detected some errors by these devices due to defects in road signs – so not because of the system itself -. In areas with missing, confusing or damaged signals, the device could set incorrect limits, which could pose a problem for motorists.
European road safety policies will therefore be transformed by the introduction of speed limiters in new vehicles. If implemented correctly, this system could significantly reduce the number of accidents caused by speeding.
The speed limiter is the Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) how it works
But how exactly does ISA work? Intelligent Speed Assistance, is a speed assistance system increasingly common in modern vehicles. A device that uses advanced technology to help drivers comply with speed limits and reduce road accidents to a minimum.
The ISA is characterized from:
- Front camera: detects road signs indicating speed limits.
- GPS system: determines the exact location of the vehicle and the applicable speed limit for that route.
- Recognition software: combines camera and GPS information to determine speed limits on the road.
Once the ISA has determined the speed limit on the road you are travelling on, it can use a variety of methods to inform and assist the driver, such as:
- Visual and audible warnings: when the driver exceeds the speed limit, the ISA issues an acoustic signal and a visual warning directly on the dashboard.
- Automatic speed reduction: In advanced systems, ISA can intervene automatically to enforce speed limits, how? By reducing engine power.
The speed limiter is a system that has actually been installed in many cars for several years. Up until now, this device gave the possibility to be deactivatednow instead starting from July 2024 it will no longer be possible to do so. With the entry into force of a real regulation it will therefore be obligatory – only to new vehicles that will enter circulation – ISA installation.
Since when is it mandatory?
From the July 6, 2024 European law (Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019) comes into force, which will bind all vehicle manufacturers to Install speed limiter on new carsi, in addition to new safety systems and technologies. The ultimate goal of this legislation is to minimize the rate of road accidents due, most of the time, to violations of speed limits on roads and motorways. In the United Kingdom it has already come into force since May 2023. all newly built cars will have to have mandatory
What is it for?
The ultimate goal of this regulation is to minimize road accidents caused by excessive speed. In all fairness, according to the 2023 Road Accident Report drawn up by Aci and Istat, every year approximately 20,000 accidents are caused precisely because the imposed speed limits are exceeded. Furthermore, according to Istat, the social costs of road accidents are very high. In 2022, Italy spent approximately 17.9 billion euros to repair disasters, equal to almost 1% of the national GDP. Therefore, reducing the accident rate will not only increase road safety, but will also bring important economic benefits.
Here is what emerges from the Report on road accidents for the year 2023, written by Aci and Istat:
“Accidents 79,124 (-1%), deaths 1,384 (-2.5%), injuries 106,493 (-0.9%).
The ACI-ISTAT estimates – relating to the first six months of 2023 – highlight, compared to the same period in 2022, a very limited decrease in the number of road accidents resulting in injuries to people (79,124; -1.0%) and injuries (106,493; -0.9%), and a more significant decrease in victims within the thirtieth day (1,384, -2.5%).
On average, in the first six months of 2023, 437 accidents occurred every day, with 7.6 deaths and 588 injuries.
In comparison with the first six months of 2019 – the reference year for the decade 2021-2030 for road safety – there was a 5.4% decrease in road accidents, 9.0% in injuries and 9.8% in deaths. In comparison with the first half of 2022, victims decreased especially on motorways (-9.7%), followed by extra-urban roads (-3.3%) and urban roads (-0.1%).
Compared to the first six months of 2019, in the first half of 2023 the number of victims decreased significantly, again, on motorways (-24.1%) while on urban and extra-urban roads the decrease is estimated at 7 and 9%.
As regards motorway journeys, the cumulative data for the first six months of 2023 shows a growth of 5.4% in vehicles/km travelled on the network, compared to the same period last year.
This result is essentially attributable to the increase in mileage for light vehicles, whose growth compared to 2022 was +7.1%, while volumes for heavy vehicles recorded only a slight increase (+0.6%).
As regards traffic on the main extra-urban network, there are increasing values for light and heavy vehicles, especially in the first quarter. On average, traffic has increased by about 4% for light vehicles and 1% for heavy vehicles.
Finally, with reference to the new decade 2021-2030 and the goal of halving road victims by 2030, the journey has started with difficulty. In 2023, in fact, the percentage variation of victims is equal to only -9.8% compared to the reference value of 2019.
Therefore, to halve the victims by 2030, starting from 2022 and for the following eight years, an average annual decrease of just over 8% would need to be achieved.”.
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