UK set to adopt vehicle speed limiters

[Ford Owners' Club]

Speed limiting technology looks set to become mandatory for all vehicles sold in Europe from 2022, after new rules were provisionally agreed by the EU

Do you agree with this or not, will it save lives? 
Have your say now....vote in the poll 

 

[zain611]

Personally the government should focus on 'bad drivers' who cause accidents and overtake just to get one car ahead which saves them a second on journey time and road rage. 

I'd like to see a statistical test done at a certain road before and after having a speed camera put up to see if it had a significant effect on the number of accidents. 

Also thinking about it, if this speed limiting thing comes, there might be less speeding fines so the government try to compensate by taxing other stuff if they are losing money from their being less people with speeding offenses. 

It also won't be good for people with a fast car although saying that UKs roads aren't suitable to drive fast in except for how fast you can get to the speed limit. 

[Doger]

If the EU wants something to waste its money on I think they should think about the numbers of stolen cars which is a direct outcome of one of their stupid policies!

[MattB95]

I think it would be a good idea if cars were somehow limited in 20/30mph areas where people tend to be crossing road etc, as for 60 + mph roads the government need to look at things like people who aren’t confident enough to be on these roads or medically unfit, and idiots who sit behind HGVs at 55mph for miles and miles, if you aren’t confident enough to get up to speed to let the traffic flow naturally you shouldn’t be on the road, end of. 

[Eric Bloodaxe]

Before this was announced, car manufacturers were already talking about the difficulties and cost of making small cars such as the VW Up! compliant with the latest upcoming emissions regulations at a price customers could afford to pay.

These latest safety proposals involve adding a lot of extra technology to them as well, bumping up the cost even more. Larger/more expensive models already have most of it and are better able to stand the cost - in many cases I would think only relatively minor software changes could link existing features such as traffic sign recognition, speed limiter etc.

So one unintended consequence could be to kill off the "city" car altogether.

 

[TomsFocus]

1 hour ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Before this was announced, car manufacturers were already talking about the difficulties and cost of making small cars such as the VW Up! compliant with the latest upcoming emissions regulations at a price customers could afford to pay.

Any idea how much a city car like the Up! or Aygo actually cost to make in materials & labour?  I've often wondered how much profit can be made on such cheap cars but it doesn't seem to be publicly available.

 

[pragmatix]

3 hours ago, Doger said:

If the EU wants something to waste its money on I think they should think about the numbers of stolen cars which is a direct outcome of one of their stupid policies!

Which policy is that?

[Doger]

@pragmatix The one that states the OBD port must be live at all times!

[pragmatix]

31 minutes ago, Doger said:

@pragmatix The one that states the OBD port must be live at all times!

Not so sure that the cause of that many thefts to be honest.

[Doger]

@pragmatix  https://www.advanced-incar.co.uk/2017/03/09/keyless-entry-obd-port-theft-protect/

[Eric Bloodaxe]

4 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

Any idea how much a city car like the Up! or Aygo actually cost to make in materials & labour?  I've often wondered how much profit can be made on such cheap cars but it doesn't seem to be publicly available.

 

I've seen it said that the production cost is not much different to Fiesta/Polo size cars but people are unwilling to pay more for what they perceive as a smaller, cheaper car and I suppose they're a bit of a loss leader in the hope you eventually move on to a Golf or Focus. Possible answer is platform/component sharing across makes like VW do with the Up! and clones, or Toyota and PSA with Aygo/108/C1. I did see mention of VW cooperating with Ford on next Up!/Ka but that seems to have gone quiet.

Bit on the Up! here: https://www.drivingelectric.com/volkswagen/up

 

[Luke4efc]

I'd make loads of money setting up a business modifying ECU's to bypass this!

[Eric Bloodaxe]

Wondered how long it would take for someone to come up with that thought!😀

[pragmatix]

2 hours ago, Doger said:

@pragmatix  https://www.advanced-incar.co.uk/2017/03/09/keyless-entry-obd-port-theft-protect/

Yes i know all about it its still safer than keys, if a thief wants your car they will get it, yes there are thefts mainly high end a diserable vehicles its always been that way.

[Eric Bloodaxe]

Although we've been concentrating on the speed limiting aspects of the proposed measures, the thing that bothers me more is the lane keeping system which I don't like at all. Fortunately you can switch this off completely on my current Fiesta, I hope you will still be able to do so in new cars from 2022.

All this really does seem to be the thin end of the wedge towards autonomous cars - I'd rather just walk or take the bus!

[Eric Bloodaxe]

In The Times today there is a correction to their earlier report on the speed limiter proposals. They now say "The legislation has been amended to create minimum standards that allow manufacturers to use audible or visual warnings, which can be switched off temporarily, as an alternative."

So it sounds as if the Ford speed warning system, which I use all the time anyway, would meet the requirements provided it was permanently enabled. If so, I would be fairly relaxed about this provision. Still don't like the lane keeping system though!

 

[alexp999]

I don't mind an audible/visual warning being mandatory. I use it on mine all the time.

An actual intervening limiter just wouldn't work though, the speed alert system frequently picks up the wrong speed.

[jbell]

On 3/29/2019 at 12:05 PM, alexp999 said:

I don't mind an audible/visual warning being mandatory. I use it on mine all the time.

An actual intervening limiter just wouldn't work though, the speed alert system frequently picks up the wrong speed.

I can imagine hitting it during an overtake causing accidents. The one and only time I accidentally bounced off the rev limiter doing an overtake in second, I remember there being a jolt and sudden flat power. Could have caused problems if it was a tight one. 

I also would be fine with warnings. I'd even consider it useful for driving somewhere unfamiliar. 

[btmaldon]

My concern is more about the EU wanting more and more control over our lives. As time goes on our ability to make choices is being removed. More and more governments are making what were choices law. I think it is ok for them to inform and educate on issues like this and introduce technology that warns us, but not restrict our ability to make choices in life. Obviously I don't include things like carrying knives or breaking existing laws. There must be a line where we are not drawn into becoming robots to the powers that be.