Speed limiters must be installed on all new cars according to government plans in order to comply with new EU regulations, according to a report.
Ministers will soon announce a consultation on a number of vehicle safety measures that will trigger an alarm or reduce engine power if drivers exceed a certain speed limit, writes The Daily Telegraph.
The technology, known as “smart speed assist”, depends on GPS tracking and vehicle cameras and has previously been described as a “big leap forward” in road safety by EU officials.
Tory MP Craig McKinley, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on motorists and hauliers at Fair Fuel UK, said the proposals sound “very conservative”.
He said: “This will completely destroy the luxury car market and I think there are so many aspects of the campaign against drivers that are now coming to the fore.
“It’s just more Big Brother in your cockpit. We will see more than that if we go up the road of road pricing. I don’t think people have thought about the aspects of freedom of all this. It just sounds very non-conservative. ”
The choice of signal given to drivers who violate the speed limit will depend on the vehicle manufacturers and may vary from reducing engine power or depressing the pedal.
Drivers will be able to cancel the technology, but it will be reset every time a driver restarts the car. Some manufacturers such as Ford and Citroen have already begun to use speed limitation technology in their vehicles.
Edmund King, president of AA, said road speed limits must be very precise in the digital system to ensure there are no problems.
He said: “Speed limits must be completely accurate because the car responds to the speed limit. If you have the wrong speed limit in the digital system, this can slow you down to the wrong speed or allow you to accelerate to the wrong speed.
The Ministry of Transport (DfT) said no decision had been made on which safety rules the UK would follow.
A spokesman added: “Leaving the UK from the EU provides us with a platform to take advantage of our regulatory freedoms.
“We are currently reviewing the vehicle safety provisions included in the EU’s General Safety Regulation and will implement requirements that are appropriate for the UK and improve road safety.”
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