Speed limiters mandatory in new cars from 2022

zagfles

Robby1988 wrote: »

I think this is a bit of a non story to be honest, if the system can be turned off it'll just be another gimmick they can flog in new cars.

If the system was to be ever been enforced as permanently on, I can't see much of an issue on local roads but I believe it will probably make high speed routes like motorways less safe. What you will get is the vast majority of drivers on the motorway with their foot planted to the floor trying to do the maximum possible speed, slight differences in the accuracy of different cars speedos will then result in traffic bunching and people tailgating in frustration at the car in front apparently only doing 69mph. Rightly or wrongly, this is exactly what goes on with HGVs that are limited and why we see all the elephant racing. There are just as many bonehead car drivers as there are bonehead HGV drivers who will get sucked into obsessing over 1mph.

Our major routes run better with everybody just cracking on as they please.

If they use GPS rather than the car's speedo they should be able to get a very accurate speed and so this problem shouldn't arise. Except perhaps in tunnels!

It could be good news for the speed freaks - it might result in an increase to the motorway speed limit to 80. I suspect the main reason they haven't done it so far is that if they did you'd get the numpties who think 80 means 85 or 90, so if cars were actually limited to the speed limit it's more likely they'd raise the speed limit.

Energize

DUTR wrote: »

It wouldn't on 2 counts, 1) the driver should be a safe distance from the vehicle in front , safe as in allowing appropriate stopping distance for the road conditions 2) the driver behind may also have a modern car which features autonomous braking systems.

Spoken like someone who has never driven in their life.

Tailgaiting is common.

Indout96 wrote: »

If you want to improve driver safety then get all cars to block mobile phone signals, got to be easier that this GPS speed system

That would have resulted in the deaths of 3/4 people in the car I was in due to being unable to call 999.

NBLondon

Yesterday afternoon I drove from South London to Thanet (A2/M2/A299) and thought maybe I'd try using the limiter instead of cruise control.

Outbound - the A2 was so clogged, I never got near the limit anyway - and out on the M2 I just went to cruise control as usual. Twice in 60 miles I was about to pass in Lane 2 at 70, when the twonk in Lane 1 at 62 decided to indicate and pull out simultaneously giving me the split second decision to either emergency brake or swing into empty Lane 3 and pass. Though when it goes to 2 Lanes further into Kent - you only have the option of brakes.

Coming back - some of the drawbacks discussed were very obvious. 1) London bound, the A299 is a NSL dual carriageway (so 70) with service/access roads alongside which have a 50 limit. I can see the 50 repeaters on my left and the NSL repeaters on my right and know which apply to me but can the limiter? 2) Roadworks pushed me off the M2 to the old A2 through Faversham, Sittingbourne etc. Single carriageway NSL going down to 40 or 30 as it passes through the villages. Satnav insisting it was 70 though. You'd have to be an idiot to drive on the limiter and not notice you were doing 70 in a 30 zone but only slightly inattentive to be driving at 70 in a 60 or 50 in some places.

Mercdriver

NBLondon wrote: »

Yesterday afternoon I drove from South London to Thanet (A2/M2/A299) and thought maybe I'd try using the limiter instead of cruise control.

Outbound - the A2 was so clogged, I never got near the limit anyway - and out on the M2 I just went to cruise control as usual. Twice in 60 miles I was about to pass in Lane 2 at 70, when the twonk in Lane 1 at 62 decided to indicate and pull out simultaneously giving me the split second decision to either emergency brake or swing into empty Lane 3 and pass. Though when it goes to 2 Lanes further into Kent - you only have the option of brakes.

Coming back - some of the drawbacks discussed were very obvious. 1) London bound, the A299 is a NSL dual carriageway (so 70) with service/access roads alongside which have a 50 limit. I can see the 50 repeaters on my left and the NSL repeaters on my right and know which apply to me but can the limiter? 2) Roadworks pushed me off the M2 to the old A2 through Faversham, Sittingbourne etc. Single carriageway NSL going down to 40 or 30 as it passes through the villages. Satnav insisting it was 70 though. You'd have to be an idiot to drive on the limiter and not notice you were doing 70 in a 30 zone but only slightly inattentive to be driving at 70 in a 60 or 50 in some places.

Exactly the point I was making earlier upthread. This stuff will come out during the consultation before it ever becomes actual law. So many misreads and GPS errors, and that is before you count vandalism of turning signs around.

Herzlos

AdrianC wrote: »

Bear in mind that, elsewhere in the scope of these systems and legislation, this is a valid and common change-of-speed-limit sign that needs to be recognised and managed.

Handling Europe wide signage is going to be a problem for any camera system. It wouldn't be out of the question to re-style or add additional signage over the years to improve things. To be honest I'm surprised the EU hasn't pressed for consistent signage across the bloc already.


If you're doing that, then you could potentially just add something more machine-vision friendly to the posts that can't be rotated.


Sure, it'll cost a lot of money, which is why I'm saying you can do it gradually as signage gets replaced anyway. If it's accurate enough, you'd only need it on speed changes or near GPS weakspots, and not roads in the middle of nowhere or with repeaters.

almillar

If you want to improve driver safety then get all cars to block mobile phone signals, got to be easier that this GPS speed system

That would make my sat nav and music streaming on my mobile phone (and lots of other uses) difficult. Using a hand held mobile phone is already illegal, it just needs to be enforced. A nice loud honk of the horn while you're beside the offender will the them and their caller know, if there are no police around to catch them.