Slow that Car
It was ten years ago that the ETA, along with similar minded organisations, founded the Slower Speeds Initiative. One of its aims was to ensure that all road vehicles had variable speed limiters.
You might be aware that certain classes of road vehicles, like heavy goods vehicles and public services vehicles, have maximum speed limiters but we want limiters extended to all vehicles.
More than that, we want the limiter to reflect not just the national maximum speed – currently 70mph – but the maximum speed in any locality. Therefore the speed limiter will ensure the driver could not drive faster than 30mph where that maximum speed applies.
A while ago I drove such a vehicle. The accuracy was stunning. 
I entered London via the M1 at 70mph and once the 50mph limit came into force the car slowed to 50mph. On moving onto local roads the speed reduced to 30mph. If you imagine a dual-carriageway with a parallel access road a couple of metres away I was able to travel along the dual-carriageway at 50mph but as soon as I moved to the access road I was reduced to 30mph. These speeds are the maximum: I was only travelling at these speeds as appropriate to test the system’s functionality!!
The ETA has long held that all vehicles should have variable speed limiters fitted as standard by law. Initially, like the parking alarm these can be switched off manually but each time the engine is started the system is automatically switched on.
After a while most motorists would find these devices acceptable, thenceforward all new cars would have speed limiters which could not be switched off. However, as with cruise control, the driver could press through the limiter to pass above the speed limit.
You might think that allowing the driver to effectively deactivate the limiter would defeat its purpose. However, allowing such a level of driver control would help its earlier acceptance. In any case, every time the vehicle returned to below the speed limit the limiter would become active again and the driver would have to consciously push above the limit should she/he wish to do so.
Studies have shown that, even on multi-lane highways, it does not need many speed limited vehicles in a stream of traffic to effect the speed of the other vehicles too.
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Speed limiters
I think speed limiters sound an excellent idea - could make avoiding speeding fines easier - on certain roads I find myself looking at the speedo all the time when i would be better watching the road! Obviously great for safety.
Mandy
Voluntary
We think that the devices should be fitted to all cars as an option but of course initially they could be turned on by the driver. Many people would welcome such a help - especially if they already have a number of points on their licence.
Stupid idea.
relaying on sat nav to designate a speed limit is ludicrous. Are you honestly telling me you've never lost your sat nav signal in a built up area. eg London?
This also placates the theory that all speed limits are correct to begin with. Is a 20 mph zone outside a school really valid at 5am on a Saturday morning?
Has anyone else noticed HGV's overtaking on the motorways causing massive tailbacks? Fitting similar systems to cars will only cause the same problem. Also, because HGV's are fitted with speed limiters, they tend to drive about 5 feet away from the truck infront. Hardly a direction we want motorist to go in.
How would the sat nav know it's in a 30 zone, or say on the M25 with variable speed limits? would this system then have to relay on feedback from a government system to verify the speed limit?
Reliability and Kick Through
You raise a number of valid points. First the technology would be the similar to that used for satnavs - some are more reliable than others. The satnavs tend to loose their accuracy where there are high buildings in all directions so that most of London would not be effected and where there are "canyons" the speed limit tends to be the same over a sufficiently wide area. I have used this system and it did not loose its signal once - it might be that I was lucky.
Second, unlike HGV limiters, which do not allow kick through, car drivers would be able to exceed the speed at their discretion.
Third, although I did not mention it, speed limits could be varied through the day for passing by road works or schools at night. These are known as dynamic speed limiters.
Fourth, the ETA has been encouraging experiments in enforcing drivers to keep their distance whether they be HGV or private drivers. Trials have exposed a number of issues which have yet to be resolved.
The speed limiter system would user the public highway topology matrix. In other words there is already a digitised network map of Britain and each sector of that map would have a speed limit attached to it.
As with average new development there need to be trials. So far the trials have demonstrated that this proposal could be introduced for a wider number of people on a voluntary basis to enable more extensive tests to be carried out. Many people would welcome it.
Naturally a compulsory system would have to be robust.
reliability and kick through
This proposed system seems to be another method of not only monitoring citizens, by the government, but also preparing the motoring nation for a new form of taxation. If the government was serious about road accidents, they wouldn't be looking at speeding, but the other 86% of reasons:
The RAC Foundation will present a paper today (10 June) that shows 95% of pedestrian accidents happen on roads with a speed limit of 40mph or less.
However, the RAC has found that speed is not the only factor in these accidents.
Its research shows that 92% of cycling accidents happen on the same type of roads, but speed is only a factor in 26% of incidents on this type of road.
Failing to look by one or more parties involved in the accident is the biggest single contributory factory, accounting for 86% of all accidents.
Wrong end of the stick
No the system does not need the government to monitor your actions. It just allows you to not infringe the law. That is if you want to respect the law.
Of course, speed is not the only or perhaps even the most likely cause of a crash. But it is a large factor in causing injuries to people. That is a major reason far reducing speeds.
variable speed limiters
Brilliant idea ! Would certainly make the roads safer for everyone.
speed limiters
although agree in principle (and would like the national limit lowered to 60) iM concerned about he big brother side of this.
Although Im in favour perhaps of road pricing im not in favour of tracking type devices in cars. i think this sort of technology will bring us nearer to that even if in the initial designs may not involve actual tracking.
dave.gledhill@hp;com
There need be no Big Brother
No problem. The car has to know two things: where it is and what the speed limit is for the road it is on.
In knows where it is just like a satnav (by using satellites - it "looks" at the satellites not the other way around - no big brother). In knows the speed limit either by its memory - speed limits do not change very often and all the speed limits in Britain can be retained on one satnav easily - or by calling a specified location for updates as some satnavs do now.
No big brother required. All the state has to do is provide the speed limits for the satnav or speed limiter companies. That is quite easy too (although it costs more than the governments - both local and national - are yet willing to pay). Nearly all roads in this country are either 60mph or 30mph. The harder work is to digitize the 40, 50 and 70mph roads but there are so few of them. We also have some 20mph streets.
I hope this explains it.
Speed Limiters
Where can we access/trial/buy these - can you refer me to a website etc.
teresa metcalf
My Speed Limiter
We'll look into availability of retrofitting products.