Why your next new car will include a device designed to stop you speeding

New cars manufactured in the EU must come with a speed limiter.

Published 6th Jul 2022

From today, all cars will have to come with a speed limiter automatically installed as a new law comes into force in the EU to reduce the number of road deaths.

The device will vibrate or illuminate to let the driver know they are going too fast and in some cases it can even reduce the speed of the car, and it's expected the UK Government will also adopt it.

Grieving husband welcomes new speed limiters

A man who lost his wife in a speeding accident five and a half years ago is telling West FM he hopes a change to EU law will reduce the number of road deaths.

Joan Price was killed by a driver going at 140mph on a stretch of the A77 in Ayrshire in 2017 and campaigned to get speed cameras installed on the road.

Colin Price worked with us to get speed cameras installed on the A77 where his wife Joan was killed.

He told us: "It will help the sensible driver who accidentally goes over the limit, but I suspect that there will still be some accidents.

"I think it is practically impossible to aim for zero fatalities on the roads although we must try to get the figure as close to that as possible."

Drivers can override the device

Under the new EU General Safety Rule, manufacturers can choose how the system alerts drivers to the fact they are over the limit.

The options include acoustic and vibrating warnings, haptic feedback via the accelerator pedal, and actively slowing the car down.

Drivers will have to turn the setting off at the start of every journey.

Colin added: "It won't stop careless drivers from speeding, but anything that will help road safety has got to be advantageous.

"However, this is a big monumental change and it can't just be implemented overnight and I hope that one day drivers won't be able to override it."

"I still think about Joan every day"

Colin hopes efforts are stepped up across the country to stress the importance of safe driving to young people.

He said: "People always think it will happen to someone else and it is not until it happens to them that they realise how badly it can affect the whole family.

"I still think about Joan every day and it's not something I will ever get over.

"I would like to see more police officers visiting schools and hammering home the important to teenagers just how dangerous a car can be in the wrong hands.

"A car itself isn't dangerous, it is the person behind it who causes all the problems."

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