Concerns raised over draft technical specifications for mandatory Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) systems

ETSC and a coalition of organisations have written to EU Member States raising serious concerns about draft technical specifications for Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), a mandatory new safety technology for new vehicles due to be introduced from 2022.

Excessive speed is still one of the biggest killers on our roads, as the latest data from Germany confirm. Around a third of fatal collisions involve at least one party driving at an inappropriate speed, with cyclists and pedestrians being particularly susceptible.

Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) is a key technology for helping drivers avoid speeding, and, if implemented correctly, could eventually reduce road deaths by 20% – a game-changer. But the proposed draft delegated act would allow vehicle manufacturers to fit a much less effective system than the one envisaged in the legislation passed last year.

The coalition raises three main concerns:

• the possibility of vehicle manufacturers installing a system that only alerts drivers when they break the speed limit, rather than assisting them to remain within it via feedback on the accelerator or by limiting engine torque;
• the risks of fitting systems that are not accurate enough at correctly identifying the correct speed limit;
• the issue of systems that can be deactivated too easily.

The coalition is asking Member States to push the Commission for a higher safety standard for the system at a meeting of experts that will be held on 8 October.

Read the full letter.