27/03/2019
Much has been made in the pores today about the plans announced for a range of safety measures that are to be introduced in 2022, if ratified by the European parliament, which is expected by September.
There have been a number of crucial moments in improving road safety, both here in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. Perhaps the most significant of these was the introduction of mandatory use of seatbelts, which has most certainly had a major impact on reducing the number of road deaths
The proposals now being made may actually lead to a greater leap forward in road safety.
The proposed speed limiter device, intelligent speed assistance (ISA), uses GPS data and sign recognition cameras to detect speed limits where the car is travelling, and then will sound a warning and automatically slow the vehicle down if it is exceeding the limit. But, drivers should be able to override the restriction by accelerating aggressively. This should allay fears from those that have argued that such speed limitations would be dangerous. A great number of vehicles on our roads already have speed limiters; some vans and lorries, as well as some cars which have artificial speed limiters; albeit usually at
So, what are the key components of the proposed legislation?
Intelligent Speed Assistance
The proposed speed limiter device, intelligent speed assistance (ISA), uses GPS data and sign recognition cameras to detect speed limits where the car is travelling, and then will sound a warning and automatically slow the vehicle down if it is exceeding the limit. But, drivers should be able to override the restriction by accelerating aggressively. This should allay fears from those that have argued that such speed limitations would be dangerous. A great number of vehicles on our roads already have speed limiters; some vans, buses, lorries are limited to 60mph, 62mph or 70mph. In addition, some cars have manufacturer installed speed limiters; albeit usually at a very high speed.
I heard a caller on a radio programme saying that it was appalling that ‘big brother’ was laying down rules about how we behave. I was quite staggered at his ‘outrage’, given that we already have these rules about our behaviour and the proposed system is merely a way of improving the enforcement process. Was he really defending his right to break the law?
I would hope that the UK government would take this as an opportunity to review our speed limits, increasing the speed limit on motorways and dual carriageways (where they are not in built up areas), with variable speed limits used more widely to help improve safety in busy periods. Speed limits within housing estates and around schools and hospitals should, perhaps, be reduced to 20mph across the UK.
By removing the ability to break the speed limit, drivers would be free to focus more of their attention on the road conditions and potential risks around them, giving the potential for further improvements in road and pedestrian safety.
There is one further benefit worthy of mention. A reduction in the level of speeding will bring with it improvements in fuel economy and reductions in CO2 emissions. This would be beneficial for the environment.
These systems would only be fitted to new cars sold after 2022, which means that there will obviously be millions of cars unaffected. I would like to see the UK government embrace the idea of these speed limit tools, requiring any driver found guilty of speeding to have such systems retro-fitted to their vehicles at their own expense.
Whilst looking at the use of technology to enforce speed limits, it would also be an opportunity to address the scourge of traffic light ‘jumpers’. Whilst it would be unsafe to apply the brakes and bring cars which have gone through red lights to a standstill, an automated system for issuing fines to such drivers may help reduce the number of incidents. I rarely encounter traffic lights changing colour, without seeing at least one vehicle keep going when they should have stopped.
Autonomous Emergency Braking Systems
Autonomous emergency braking systems (EBS), which are already available on a great number of new cars, are also expected to be mandated in the new legislation. It has to be said that some reviews have suggested the systems are not as good as they could be. However, the independent tests have shown the benefits to be significant.
AEB systems improve safety in two ways: firstly, they help to avoid accidents by identifying critical situations early and warning the driver; and secondly they reduce the severity of crashes which cannot be avoided by lowering the speed of collision and, in some cases, by preparing the vehicle and restraint systems for impact.
Making this a mandatory requirement on all new cars may see the price of new cars increase slightly, but the widespread introduction should enable such costs to be minimal. Moreover, the costs may be outweighed, or at least mitigated by, reduced insurance costs if we have fewer and less significant road traffic accidents.
No matter which way you look at this, it has to be a positive step.
Data Recorders
The job of accident investigators will be made much easier if all cars were equipped with data recorders, much like the infamous ‘black box’ in aeroplanes. The information such as speed, GPS location, steering input and braking will add meaningful evidence to eye witness reports and camera footage.
Personally, I choose to have front and rear facing ‘dash-cams’ in my car. These already record my whereabouts and speed, along with video footage of my journey. I’m sure that civil liberty campaigners would claim that forcing people to have cameras recording their journeys would be an imposition, ‘big brother’ watching them. I actually think it is the insurance companies who will eventually push the wider use of dash-cams, providing significant discounts to drivers who have them installed.
Lane Departure Warning Systems
Another safety feature that appeared on some cars, and is available on others as an option, in recent years, is the lane departure warning system. These typically either vibrate the steering wheel or produce an audible alarm if the car changes lane without the driver having indicated an intention to do so. Further developments meant that, on some cars, they would even use the brakes to pull the car back into lane if the car sensed a potential collision that could be avoided.
Again, the provision of such crash avoidance technology on all cars from 2022 is something to be welcomed.
Alcohol Interlock System
A further safety measure that could drastically reduce the number of deaths caused by drunk drivers is the Alcohol Interlock System (AIS). I don’t doubt that some habitual drunk drivers will try and get around the system, perhaps by getting a passenger (maybe even a child) to perform the test for them. However, it has to be a good thing if such systems could reduce the number of drunk drivers on our roads. It would be great if those convicted of drunk driving were now forced to have the AIS system installed in their cars, at their expense, once they have served any driving ban.
Anything that stops drink drivers from getting behind the wheel and taking to the roads should be adopted as quickly as possible.
Another great piece of legislation from the EU
So, whilst Brexiteers may wish to jump on this proposed legislation as evidence of further meddling by Europe, even though it seems our government is looking to adopt the legislation regardless of our EU status at the time.
But what about the older cars?
Our roads should be much safer in years to come, but there is a need to consider what this means for older vehicles. Enforcing retrospective fitment to older cars would be difficult, and expensive. Classic cars from the 1960s and before will generally not have seat belts and it is clear that car safety has evolved enormously over the years; improved suspension, brakes, crumple zones and methods to improve the safety of pedestrians have all developed massively.
Is there a case to suggest that older, less safe, cars should be prevented from driving on motorways? Should there be a limit on the number of miles such a vehicle can be used each year? These might all seem heavy handed ideas, but the older cars are less safe for everyone and they pollute the atmosphere more than the modern vehicles. Most classic car owners own other vehicles for day to day use.
I’m not saying these measures should definitely be introduced, but these things should be considered; if they haven’t been already.
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