EU cars to get safety features like speed cap, data recorder

According to a media report, the European Union (EU) is looking to introduce a raft of safety measures including speed caps relative to the speed limit and road conditions. Last month, Volvo had announced that they would be limiting the top speed of its cars to 180 km/h.

The 30 proposals include automated emergency braking, driver distraction detection systems, lane keeping assist, speed limits, alcohol interlocks, event data recorders and a Direct Vision system that makes vulnerable road users like cyclists or pedestrians more visible to bus and truck drivers. Drowsiness and attention detection, as well as blind spot information system, are also included in the proposal.

The proposals are pending approval from the member countries and the European Parliament. If they are approved, the rules and regulations could be made mandatory for all new cars models from 2022. Existing models would have to comply by 2024.

Alcohol interlock is likely to be installed to prevent drunk driving. The speed limited system could be used to limit speeds in certain road conditions like snowy roads or foggy roads, and in certain zones like around schools and hospitals. The cars could also get a speed warning system. Reports also suggest that the speed cap system or the speed warning system could be overridden by the driver (e.g. on Germany’s unrestricted sections of the Autobahn). Further, information from the data recorder can be used to pinpoint blame during accidents. This data can also be sent to law enforcement agencies if required.

The EU is looking to get the infrastructure ready before implementing these new rules. It is reported that 25,300 people died and 1,35,000 were seriously injured on EU roads in 2017.

Source: ExtremeTech, TechCrunch