All new cars are to be fitted with devices that make sure they automatically keep to the speed limit.
The changes to vehicle safety rules have been provisionally agreed by the European Union and the UK regulator, the Vehicle Certification Agency, has said it will mirror safety standards for vehicles in the UK regardless of the outcome of Brexit.
Speed limiter devices use GPS data and sign recognition cameras to detect speed limits where the car is travelling. They sound a warning and automatically slow down the vehicle if it is exceeding the limit.
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The Times describes the move as “the biggest overhaul of road safety in more than 50 years,” while The Guardian reports a claim that the “sweeping changes” could save 25,000 lives by 2037.
The road safety charity Brake called it a “landmark day” but the AA isn't entirely convinced, arguing that “a little speed” helps with overtaking or joining motorways and pointing out that: “Dodgem cars are all fitted with speed limiters but they still seem to crash.”
Drivers will be able to override the speed limiter by pressing hard on the accelerator. This has placated critics who pointed out that when trying to swiftly overtake a vehicle, going over the speed limit could sometimes be safer.
Other changes to be ushered in from 2022 include automated emergency brakes, electronic data recorders and improved visibility for lorry drivers to see cyclists and pedestrians.
Antonio Avenoso, executive director of the European Transport Safety Council, said the reform is nothing short of historic. “There have only been a handful of moments in the last 50 years which could be described as big leaps forward for road safety in Europe,” he said.
“The mandatory introduction of the seatbelt was one, and the first EU minimum crash safety standards, agreed in 1998 was another. If last night’s agreement is given the formal green light, it will represent another of those moments, preventing 25,000 deaths within 15 years of coming into force.”
The changes were trailed by the European Commission in 2018 but after talks in Strasbourg this week, they look set to be given the go-ahead by EU member states in September.
The UK has one of the lowest rates of road deaths in Europe. In 2017, 322 people died on our roads when the vehicle was either exceeding the speed limit or considered to be travelling too fast for the conditions.
