EU- automatic speed limiters on all new cars

[Francis Albert]

Apparently the EU Commission is to introduce automatic speed limiters on all new cars from 2022 to enforce speed limits. Thoughts?

I can see pros and cons - it would increase the tendency of drivers to see speed limits as targets or even minima and ignore the fact that drivers are supposed to drive safely in light of road conditions. For a long time - several decades -there would be a mixture of speed limited and non-speed limited cars sharing the same roads which creates its own risks.

Saving lives and injuries is of course the objective. The claim is that 25,000 lives would be saved by 2038 but the report I read doesn't say anything about the derivation of that statistic.

[Bindy Badgy]

I suppose the counter-argument to introducing it is that some cars get used on tracks and so on where it is perfectly legal to go faster than the national speed limit.

[milky_26]

4 minutes ago, Stokesy said:

I suppose the counter-argument to introducing it is that some cars get used on tracks and so on where it is perfectly legal to go faster than the national speed limit.

the bbc article says there is most likely going to be an override button that would reset every time you start the car.

[gjcc]

I look forward to seeing peoples attempts at overtaking a towing vehicle going 50 on a bendy single carriageway with the national speed limit. 

[Taffin]

3 minutes ago, gjcc said:

I look forward to seeing peoples attempts at overtaking a towing vehicle going 50 on a bendy single carriageway with the national speed limit. 

 

 

If it isn't safe to do so within the speed limit then they shouldn't attempt it...

 

However, it is fine as these limiters can be over ridden from what I've read. 

[A Boy Named Crow]

The ideal would be for all cars to drive themselves, remove the need for speed limits completely. 

Edited March 27, 2019 by A Boy Named Crow

[Francis Albert]

13 minutes ago, milky_26 said:

the bbc article says there is most likely going to be an override button that would reset every time you start the car.

I am not sure I see the point if you can over-ride by simply pressing another button when you start the car. All those who regularly disregard speed limits would surely just do so and carry on as before.

My car recognises speed limit signs and shows the limit on the dashboard which is useful (though not infallible) but only to drivers who want to stick to the limits.

Edited March 27, 2019 by Francis Albert

[gjcc]

2 minutes ago, Taffin said:

 

 

If it isn't safe to do so within the speed limit then they shouldn't attempt it...

 

However, it is fine as these limiters can be over ridden from what I've read. 

 

I agree but it doesn't stop people attempting it now when it isn’t safe to do so. Followed by the attempted overtaker having to abort and drop back only to try again at another unsafe location.

It’s fun to observe the increasingly obvious irateness of the overtaker especially if you can see their hand gestures through their back window. 

[Haken]

Guessing you'd still be able to speed anywhere other than a motorway.

[Taffin]

5 minutes ago, gjcc said:

 

I agree but it doesn't stop people attempting it now when it isn’t safe to do so. Followed by the attempted overtaker having to abort and drop back only to try again at another unsafe location.

It’s fun to observe the increasingly obvious irateness of the overtaker especially if you can see their hand gestures through their back window. 

 

Absolutely, I must confess to occasionally being one when I have a hire car without the grunt of my own and it catches me off guard ??

 

Really dangerous though, I live in quite a rural area and the amount of micro cars that take a stab at overtaking trucks in B roads on my commute only to have to back out is frightening

[Bindy Badgy]

17 minutes ago, Francis Albert said:

I am not sure I see the point if you can over-ride by simply pressing another button when you start the car. All those who regularly disregard speed limits would surely just do so and carry on as before.

My car recognises speed limit signs and shows the limit on the dashboard which is useful (though not infallible) but only to drivers who want to stick to the limits.

 

It prevents people from speeding by accident when they aren't paying attention and so on. Obviously, these people are guilty of driving without due care and attention but, if it limits the damage they can potentially cause it's a good thing.

[Cade]

FFS why don't people read before going off on a rant?

 

The system can be over-ridden by double tapping the accelerator.

This allows faster speeds for safe overtaking or for avoiding accidents.

[Taffin]

13 minutes ago, Stokesy said:

 

It prevents people from speeding by accident when they aren't paying attention and so on. Obviously, these people are guilty of driving without due care and attention but, if it limits the damage they can potentially cause it's a good thing.

 

This is a really good point.

I'd argue that conscious speeding isn't necessarily dangerous by default (within reason) but zoning out and creeping up to a speed that suddenly you struggle to control is a real risk and also the auto slowing of the car with refocus you.

 

Most of the time I've been guilty of speeding it hasn't been intentional, I've been on the motorway and you get sucked in the flow of traffic and before you know it your speed has creeped up to somewhere you're not comfortable with.

[gjcc]

5 minutes ago, Cade said:

FFS why don't people read before going off on a rant?

 

The system can be over-ridden by double tapping the accelerator.

This allows faster speeds for safe overtaking or for avoiding accidents.

 

Sorry, I didn’t realise a link had been provided in the OP... ?

 

oh jings, here’s a car coming towards me at 70+ miles an hour, better press, unpress then press the accelerator again. 

[Cade]

4 minutes ago, gjcc said:

 

Sorry, I didn’t realise a link had been provided in the OP... ?

 

oh jings, here’s a car coming towards me at 70+ miles an hour, better press, unpress then press the accelerator again. 

You may also want to move the steering wheel a wee bit

[Ribble]

I think that most objections won't come from having to hard press/double tap the accelerator but will come from the need for each car with the technology to be fitted with a 'black box' data recorder that insurance companies and the police will have access to!

 

Imagine you have a small crash that the police are called to, they then download your driving history from the black box and issue you multiple speeding tickets/charge you with dangerous driving!

[gjcc]

2 minutes ago, Cade said:

You may also want to move the steering wheel a wee bit

 

That’ll be a great comfort to those that are overtaking unsafely. Which direction do you recommend? Into the caravan or the ditch/hedgerow? Or maybe, full lock for a James Bond style flip and roll over the oncoming car?

[Francis Albert]

15 minutes ago, gjcc said:

 

Sorry, I didn’t realise a link had been provided in the OP... ?

 

oh jings, here’s a car coming towards me at 70+ miles an hour, better press, unpress then press the accelerator again. 

And the reason the over-ride wasn't mentioned in the OP was that the article which I read and prompted the OP didn't mention it.

 

29 minutes ago, Cade said:

FFS why don't people read before going off on a rant?

 

The system can be over-ridden by double tapping the accelerator.

This allows faster speeds for safe overtaking or for avoiding accidents.

And I can't see anyone ranting except Cade.

[Francis Albert]

50 minutes ago, Stokesy said:

 

It prevents people from speeding by accident when they aren't paying attention and so on. Obviously, these people are guilty of driving without due care and attention but, if it limits the damage they can potentially cause it's a good thing.

Fair point. But it won't affect  the boy and girl racers and the mums and dads rushing to pick up their kids from school (a major road hazard around school closing time) if they can simply over-ride the system.

 

It would also increase the hazards in the road at the bottom of our street which has a 30mph limit but anyone driving at under 35mph is likely to be overtaken by someone doing 60mph because they need desperately to get to the end of the queue for the traffic lights or roundabout at either end.

 

From what I read it seemed the system would not just cover the national maximum but  all speed limits. It would be of limited value if just the former.

Edited March 27, 2019 by Francis Albert

[Hairdryer]

I imagine it can have an advantage if a driver is three points of a ban so he or she 

can concentrate on driving instead of having to worry about the speed as obviously 

in the past unable to keep to speed limit

[luckyBatistuta]

Anything that isn’t about bringing in revenue and reduces road fatalities has to be a good thing.

[gjcc]

4 minutes ago, luckyBatistuta said:

Anything that isn’t about bringing in revenue and reduces road fatalities has to be a good thing.

 

Knowing the UK government, they’ll find a way. 

[luckyBatistuta]

3 minutes ago, gjcc said:

 

Knowing the UK government, they’ll find a way. 

 

No doubt 

[southcap]

I want examples from 5 different users of when they had to accelerate to get out of trouble.

 

I've had to brake plenty of times, but can't think of a single example when accelerating would have helped.

[Notts1874]

Its amazing the OP was so narrow in its description of the proposals considering this speed limiter, which can be overridden, is only part of a number of safety measures.

[Bindy Badgy]

2 hours ago, Francis Albert said:

Fair point. But it won't affect  the boy and girl racers and the mums and dads rushing to pick up their kids from school (a major road hazard around school closing time) if they can simply over-ride the system.

 

It would also increase the hazards in the road at the bottom of our street which has a 30mph limit but anyone driving at under 35mph is likely to be overtaken by someone doing 60mph because they need desperately to get to the end of the queue for the traffic lights or roundabout at either end.

 

From what I read it seemed the system would not just cover the national maximum but  all speed limits. It would be of limited value if just the former.

 

It obviously isn't going to resolve all issues. You're complaining that it doesn't solve a behaviour pattern that it isn't designed to solve.

[gjcc]

6 minutes ago, southcap said:

I want examples from 5 different users of when they had to accelerate to get out of trouble.

 

I've had to brake plenty of times, but can't think of a single example when accelerating would have helped.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tesco-hit-run-woman-who-14154471.amp

 

If she’d accelerated a bit more she’d have maybe got away with it. 

 

 

In seriousness though, as previously alluded to, I’ve seen plenty of people attempting to overtake on blind bends due to being irate at a tractor (or other slow vehicle) being on the road at rush hour. Once they begin the manoeuvre, the gap they came from is closed by often equally irate drivers. Car comes round the corner leaving nowhere to go but speed up further to make it or break and get hit head on. 

 

People make stupid decisions.

[OBE]

23 minutes ago, southcap said:

I want examples from 5 different users of when they had to accelerate to get out of trouble.

 

I've had to brake plenty of times, but can't think of a single example when accelerating would have helped.

 

When ma new squeeze's big bro found out I'd been getting jiggy with her. 

Edited March 27, 2019 by Old Blue Eyes

[Harry Potter]

7 minutes ago, Old Blue Eyes said:

 

When ma new squeeze's big bro found out I'd been getting jiggy with her. 

Lol, this was always coming, can the new battery cars break the speed limit.

[OBE]

35 minutes ago, Harry Potter said:

Lol, this was always coming, can the new battery cars break the speed limit.

 

Yes, always coming, but her name was not this. Battery cars and speed limits, I never want to find out, petrol head me!

 

 

[Harry Potter]

1 minute ago, Old Blue Eyes said:

 

Yes, always coming, but her name was not this. Battery cars and speed limits, I never want to find out, petrol head me!

 

 

Yes petrol for me bud and room in the boot for my clubs, 

[davemclaren]

a lot of commercial vehicles are already max speed limited so there should be stats available on benefits from that I would think. 

[1953]

I've got a speed limiter on my current car but can't say I've ever been tempted to use it. Must be one of these things that needs to be enforced.

[luckyBatistuta]

10 minutes ago, 1953 said:

I've got a speed limiter on my current car but can't say I've ever been tempted to use it. Must be one of these things that needs to be enforced.

 

I use mine pretty much every night that i’m at work.

[Francis Albert]

3 hours ago, Notts1874 said:

Its amazing the OP was so narrow in its description of the proposals considering this speed limiter, which can be overridden, is only part of a number of safety measures.

Why amazing? I don't think any other post has mentioned the other measures and the news reports I have seen all headlined and lead on the speed limiter aspect. When I got my current car it was the first one I'd had that had a camera based speed limit recognition feature and dash board warning/reminder of the limit. It also has a speed limiter so I thought at the time that a system automatically limiting speed to the speed limit was a fairly easy next step. So that aspect interested me. As for the other proposals they were not to me of as much interest and it seems I am not alone in that view. The few others I have seen mentioned in the news reports, such as lane departure warnings, are already fairly common.

As I have said the first report I read did not mention the over-ride facility and there seems to some uncertainty  about exactly how that will work.

[Francis Albert]

3 hours ago, Stokesy said:

 

It obviously isn't going to resolve all issues. You're complaining that it doesn't solve a behaviour pattern that it isn't designed to solve.

Not complaining at all, just making an observation.

The over-ride does reduce its safety benefit if it means those most likely to use it for "non-emergency" reasons are the worst speeding offenders.

 

[Dunks]

Most new cars already have these features - my 3yo Renault does. This is more about making it mandatory for the features on all models and the default to be 'on'. 

[Seymour M Hersh]

When do we move to Berlin time?

[Ray Gin]

Sounds like a good idea to me.

 

[Jambo100]

The way smart motorways are going up.The E U will save us money