For years, speed has been recognised as one of the three main contributing factors to deaths on our roads. And for more than a decade, ETSC has been advocating the benefits of Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), a driver assistance system that a 2014 Norwegian study found to be the ‘most effective’ in saving lives.

ISA uses a speed sign-recognition video camera and/or GPS-linked speed limit data to advise drivers of the current speed limit and automatically limit the speed of the vehicle as needed. ISA systems do not automatically apply the brakes, but simply limit engine power preventing the vehicle from accelerating past the current speed limit unless overridden. Vehicles with this kind of ISA system factory fitted are already on sale – helped in part by Euro NCAP’s decision to reward extra points for vehicles that include ISA.

[promo title=”Briefing” button=”Download” url=”https://etsc.eu/briefing-intelligent-speed-assistance-isa/” icon=”none” target=”” style=”” class=””]Read our in-depth briefing on ISA to get answers to the most frequently asked questions about the technology.[/promo]

The technology has also been boosted by the increasing use of hardware on vehicles such as GPS, front facing cameras and manual speed limiting systems. With this hardware already used by other systems on the vehicle, ISA becomes a simple matter of adding additional software.

The European Union agreed in 2019 to make an overridable version of ISA, along with a number of other vehicle safety measures, mandatory on new models of car sold in the EU from 2022.

[promo title=”Infographic” button=”Download” url=”https://etsc.eu/wp-content/uploads/ETSC-ISA-infographic.pdf” icon=”none” target=”” style=”” class=””]How does ISA work, and how could it boost road safety? Download and share our infographic. Also available in French and Spanish. [/promo]

The importance of the adoption of the technology cannot be overestimated. ISA is expected to reduce collisions by 30% and deaths by 20%.

ISA has been trialled in many member states, and while drivers take a short time to adjust to the technology, the majority appreciated it. One obvious benefit, as Ford has pointed out in a recent marketing campaign, is that it helps drivers avoid speeding tickets.

Click here to see presentations from the European Parliament workshop on new vehicle safety rules, held on 29/11/2018.

Below is a list of some of the vehicles already for sale in Europe that feature a version of Intelligent Speed Assistance.

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