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EU to Mandate New Car Safety Features by 2021 - Including Speed Limiter

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McNum

McNum

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The European Commission has laid out its new mandatory car safety plans for 2021, and they have most definitely not taken this one lightly.

From the press release:
Safe Mobility

While road fatalities have more than halved since 2001, 25,300 people still lost their lives on EU roads in 2017 and another 135,000 were seriously injured. The Commission is therefore taking measures with strong EU added-value to contribute to safe roads and to a Europe that protects. The Commission is proposing that new models of vehicles are equipped with advanced safety features, such as advanced emergency braking and lane-keeping assist system for cars or pedestrian and cyclists' detection systems for trucks (see full list here). In addition, the Commission is helping Member States to systematically identify dangerous road sections and to better target investment. These two measures could save up to 10,500 lives and avoid close to 60,000 serious injuries over 2020-2030, thereby contributing to the EU's long-term goal of moving close to zero fatalities and serious injuries by 2050 ("Vision Zero").
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And what exactly do they demand in new cars from then on?
  • Advanced emergency braking (cars)
  • Alcohol interlock installation facilitation (cars,vans, trucks, buses)
  • Drowsiness and attention detection (cars, vans,trucks, buses)
  • Distraction recognition / prevention (cars, vans,trucks, buses)
  • Event (accident) data recorder (cars and vans)
  • Emergency stop signal (cars, vans, trucks, buses)
  • Full-width frontal occupant protection crash test -improved seatbelts (cars and vans)
  • Head impact zone enlargement for pedestrians and cyclists -safety glass in case of crash (cars and vans)
  • Intelligent speed assistance (cars, vans, trucks,buses)
  • Lane keeping assist (cars, vans)
  • Pole side impact occupant protection (cars, vans)
  • Reversing camera or detection system (cars, vans,trucks, buses)
  • Tyre pressure monitoring system (vans, trucks,buses)
  • Vulnerable road user detection and warning on front and side of vehicle (trucks and buses)
  • Vulnerable road user improved direct vision from driver's position (trucks and buses)
I highlighted a few of the more interesting ones. Having the car being able to brake if it detects danger can only be a good thing, and having an it do an alcohol check will likely save lives. Can't really hate on the car keeping an eye on if the driver is paying attention either.

But I know full well which one from this list is going to get all the attention, so let's get to it.

You cannot speed in the car. At all. It will simply refuse to go faster.

Yup. That's the "Intelligent speed assistance". It knows the speed limit and you will keep it. And it will be mandatory for every single new car in the EU by 2021. I... can see this one get very interesting. And a whole lot of debate, but the EU has mandated it. By 2030 as pre-21 cars leave the roads, speeding simply ceases to exist in the EU. And that's both amazing and utterly crazy to think about.

Furthermore, the EU is making a statement here. Automated cars are the future and it will be the law. This begins the plan to eliminate human error from driving.... by eliminating human decisions from driving.

Welcome to the future of automobiles. Driver still required, but that's not going to last.

UPDATE: Video showing off ISA, the intelligent speed assistance. also has stats on why they're doing this.
 
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Zvonimir Boban

Zvonimir Boban

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I instinctively want to get up in arms over the speed limiter but I'm always speeding on the motorway so I can't really complain.
 
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McNum

McNum

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Also, just to highlight one thing up there that I may have downplayed.

Vision Zero: By 2050, in the entire EU: 0 automotive fatalities or serious injuries.

I wish them good luck on that one, and as someone in the EU who is expecting to see 2050, it certainly boosts my odds of that.
 
Starvigil

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EU making laws that over 20 countries agree on and enforce is one of the most grand things in politics.
 
Redhead On Moped

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What about life or death? What about running away from an armed gunman chasing you with windows rolled down, a partner with a shotgun, and an older vehicle that WILL go faster than yours?

This is fucking terrifying.
 
MikeHattsu

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More about ISA here:
https://etsc.eu/briefing-intelligent-speed-assistance-isa/

Including this:
Can the system be overridden?
Yes. ETSC recommends fitting ISA systems that can be overridden temporarily.

Example: a driver is carrying out an overtaking manoevre to pass a lorry on a motorway at the same time as a decrease in the speed limit is encountered. In this case, the driver could temporarily override the lower speed limit and complete the manoeuvre at a higher speed by depressing the accelerator down hard to signal to the system that the limiter should be temporarily disabled. If the driver continues to drive above the speed limit for several seconds, the system should display and sound a warning. Once the vehicle is operating at or below the speed limit again, the override state should be cancelled and normal functionality should resume.
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McNum

McNum

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Frankie_baby said:
Can't see the speed limiter going through
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Already did. That's the press release. By 2021, if you sell a car in the EU, it has a speed limiter. If it doesn't you don't sell that car in the EU. And the EU is very, very pedantic about safety features.

Redhead On Moped said:
What about life or death? What about running away from an armed gunman chasing you with windows rolled down, a partner with a shotgun, and an older vehicle that WILL go faster than you.

This is fucking terrifying.
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Uh. What? Is that a common concern? Have less guns, then you won't get chased by crazy gunmen.
 
Breqesk

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Redhead On Moped said:
What about life or death? What about running away from an armed gunman chasing you with windows rolled down, a partner with a shotgun, and an older vehicle that WILL go faster than you.

This is fucking terrifying.
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is this a joke

---

Anyways, OP, where do they specify that 'intelligent speed assistance' means 'car will not exceed stated speed limit, ever'? I checked the .pdf, and this is the only reference I could find to it:

4YAcwdC.jpg


I only ask 'cause, reading this, the first thing that occurred to me was intelligent cruise control - of the sort you can option into cars now - rather than an outright speed limiter. Like, it's listed next to two other features that are available as options on current cars.

Eh, it's not like any of this really matters to me, anyway. By the time I own a 2021-or-newer car, we'll probably have already switched over to self-driving everything.
 
Arkanius

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After GDPR, it really feels that Europe is going full steam ahead in bold jumps towards consumer safety
 
Redhead On Moped

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Breqesk said:
is this a joke

---

Anyways, OP, where do they specify that 'intelligent speed assistance' means 'car will not exceed stated speed limit, ever'? I checked the .pdf, and this is the only reference I could find to it:

4YAcwdC.jpg


I only ask 'cause, reading this, the first thing that occurred to me was intelligent cruise control - of the sort you can option into cars now - rather than an outright speed limiter. Like, it's listed next to two other features that are available as options on current cars.
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Not a joke, yet full disclosure: I only read the OP, not the PDF.
 
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McNum

McNum

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Ah, I read it off the Danish news. They may have exaggerated for effect.

But the idea is basically, you cannot speed. I see that it does allow for an overtake or keeping the speed for a while after a speed limit change, which is smart. And I do assume that a lot of the automation parts will be quite clever as any situation we can think of, perhaps excluding maniacs with a shotgun, they will have thought of and implemented already.

This is, as far as I can tell, essentially mandating one of the early steps of automation. It still needs a driver, but the car will take over if there's trouble.
 
Ninja

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FUCK. THAT.

This sounds like an april fools joke. Thank Jesus it would never happen in America. People here would march in the streets with guns if the idea was even introduced.
 
Protome

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I didn't know drowsiness/attention detection was a thing. That alone could prevent a lot of accidents.

Redhead On Moped said:
What about life or death? What about running away from an armed gunman chasing you with windows rolled down, a partner with a shotgun, and an older vehicle that WILL go faster than yours?

This is fucking terrifying.
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I'm sure they'll life the speed limiters when the Mad Max apocalypse you are envisioning happens.

As is, this isn't a thing that happens and isn't something anyone sane cares or worries about.
 

Deleted member 1726

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I can't see how that is safe at all, say you need to overtake a vehicle ahead, in a situation where you would speed up to overtake it would not be possible.
 

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I like that instead of a plausible concern like someone needing to be rushed to the hospital as soon as possible their mind went to crazy gang chasing you with a shotgun
 
Etain

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Redhead On Moped said:
What about life or death? What about running away from an armed gunman chasing you with windows rolled down, a partner with a shotgun, and an older vehicle that WILL go faster than yours?

This is fucking terrifying.
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I'd... I'd just go with rushing a pregnant woman to a hospital.

EDIT:

Rael said:
I like that instead of a plausible concern like someone needing to be rushed to the hospital as soon as possible their mind went to crazy gang chasing you with a shotgun
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Ah haha, wow at the timing.
 
Blackpuppy

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Good. I hate how individuals believe they have a God-given right to break safety rules for their own selfish reasons. A public road is not a racing track.
 
PJV3

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Ninja said:
FUCK. THAT.

This sounds like an april fools joke. Thank Jesus it would never happen in America. People here would march in the streets with guns if the idea was even introduced.
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Really?
Besides guns Americans seem to do as they are told by authority, I would be more angry about jay walking laws than safer cars.
 
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McNum

McNum

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Then don't overtake. It'll be driving at the speed limit anyway. Unless it's a truck, but they have a lower limit by design. In Denmark it's 130km/h on freeways for cars and 90 for trucks if I remember right. Passing with a 40km/h advantage seems easy enough.
 
Breqesk

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McNum said:
Ah, I read it off the Danish news. They may have exaggerated for effect.

But the idea is basically, you cannot speed. I see that it does allow for an overtake or keeping the speed for a while after a speed limit change, which is smart. And I do assume that a lot of the automation parts will be quite clever as any situation we can think of, perhaps excluding maniacs with a shotgun, they will have thought of and implemented already.

This is, as far as I can tell, essentially mandating one of the early steps of automation. It still needs a driver, but the car will take over if there's trouble.
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Yeah, I just read the Autocar piece on it, and they say that you'll be able to disable it 'temporarily'. We'll have to see what that means in practice--could be perfectly possible to keep it toggled off indefinitely, could be a button you press specifically for overtaking, or it could be like engaging 'sport mode'. Going by this passage:

One of the more controversial systems planned for introduction is intelligent speed assistance, which can control the speed of the car by adhering to the speed limits where possible. The system can be turned off temporarily and is widely available on a variety of cars already, although critics highlight that it's the first step towards total governance of a car's speed, plus the possible insurance ramifications of turning the system off temporarily once the system is a legal requirement.

I'm guessing it'll just work like the current intelligent cruise control systems... Though, uh, you'll have to check with someone who has one of those to know what that means. I only just got a car with air conditioning, and even that was under duress. (My beloved old 106 got killed by an idiot.)
 
Redhead On Moped

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Blackpuppy said:
Why is it such a bad idea to make people follow laws?
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Because life and justice isn't a mere rulebook and the unexpected can happen.

Running from gunmen.

Bridge collapsing and everyone NEEDING to floor it for thier lives.

Imminent Fuel Truck explosion.

Mandatory, legal emergency evacuation.

The list goes on. A blind limiter has no context, and context is for kings.
 
NeonCarbon

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I'd support the speed assist if we get higher speed limits for motorways, dual carriageways, freeways, highways whatever people like to call them.

Nice to have the other features as standard.
 
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Deleted member 2809

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I'm all for the speed limiter but it should have a limit that is a bit higher than the road you're on, just in case you need to overtake somebody driving like a maniac or something. +20 km/h compared to the limit seems ok for that.
Increase fines for speeding so you can punish people abusing that fact.
 
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