All New SPANISH Cars To Have Speed Limiters By 2022 Under EU Plans

ALL new cars sold in Spain and Europe are to be fitted with devices to automatically stop drivers exceeding the speed limit under sweeping changes to vehicle safety rules that the EU has provisionally agreed.

The speed limiter is one of a range of safety features to be made mandatory in Spanish cars from 2022, along with automated emergency braking, electronic data recorders and improved visibility built into lorries for drivers to see vulnerable cyclists and pedestrians around the vehicle.

Another proposed safety feature to be included is the pre-installation of a breathalyser with vehicle locking capability in the event that the established legal limits are exceeded. In principle, its mandatory use would be limited to drivers with a history of driving under the influence of alcohol, who would then only be able to start driving after passing a breathalyser test when getting behind the wheel.

Safety campaigners described the move to include the additional safety measures, in particular the speed limit feature, as one of the biggest leaps forward in 50 years and say it could save 25,000 lives by 2037.

The speed limiter device, called intelligent speed assistance (ISA), would use GPS data and sign recognition cameras to detect speed limits where the car is travelling, slow the vehicle down if it is exceeding the limit.

The drivers however, will be able to override the device simply by pushing hard on the accelerator, a necessary option for those situations when speeding up could be safer, such as when trying to swiftly overtake a vehicle.

As Euro Weekly News understands, it is believed that these proposed rules and regulations will also apply to cars in the UK, even though Britain may no longer be part of the EU when the rules come into effect.

The UK regulator, the Vehicle Certification Agency, has said it will mirror safety standards for vehicles in the UK.