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Are the days of driving fun over? First, automatic cars killed the art of upshifting at top speed, then silent electric vehicles killed the satisfying thrum of engines.
And now, this week, a new speed-limiting technology comes into effect that will bombard drivers with beeps, vibrations and other warnings when they hit the speed limit.
The technology has been made mandatory on all new cars in the EU and is also likely to be fitted to most cars sold in the UK.
Campaigners hope it will help reduce crashes on Britain’s roads, but will the system benefit both the road and their wallets? Or will the high costs of repairing the complicated software end up ruining their finances?
The regulations that came into force on Sunday require manufacturers to install the Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) system in all new cars in the EU.
How does a speed limiter work?
Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA) is a speed limiting technology that uses GPS and camera data to scan for road signs and determine the speed limit. It then warns drivers when they are about to reach it.
The system alerts the driver in one or more of these ways: by making a sound, by vibrating the steering wheel and by adding pressure through the accelerator pedal or cruise control, which may reduce engine power to reduce the legal speed limit. However, the driver can override this action by pressing the accelerator.
Manufacturers only need to include one of these options to pass regulations, so in theory cars can only have one audio alert installed.
Drivers are still in control of the vehicle, but the system is designed to warn them and encourage them to slow down if they exceed the speed limit, says a spokesman for the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The driver can override the technology. Drivers can also turn off the assistance, but this must be done every time the engine is started.
Stuart Masson, editor of The Car Expert, said: “I don’t think the roads are any safer. The system will bombard you if you go a mile an hour over the speed limit. It’s something no policeman will stop you for. But speed limits are important.”
The ISA system uses GPS and camera data to scan for road signs and determine the speed limit. It then alerts drivers when they are about to reach it, and if they do not slow down, the system can actively reduce engine power to slow the vehicle down to the legal speed limit.
The rules, which came into force on Sunday, require manufacturers to install this “speed-limiting technology” in all new cars in the EU.
The UK government has not mandated that the system be fitted to all new cars in the country, but road safety groups are lobbying the new government to introduce similar legislation.
Jack Cousens, head of road policy at the AA, added: “Although ISA is not mandatory in the UK, many new cars will be sold with this technology.” The RAC says that if manufacturers were to deliberately exclude the feature from UK models, it would add unnecessary cost to production.
BMW, Citroen and Ford are among those that have pledged to roll out the systems to all UK models from this month.
Some UK cars are already fitted with the system. An analysis of manufacturers by This is Money shows that most UK car model makers either have ISA installed, are introducing it to new models or are planning to adopt it in the future.
The European Transport Safety Council has recommended this technology to help achieve the goal of zero road deaths by 2050.
Existing cars do not need to be equipped with this technology or for drivers to use it; only new cars need to have it.
Will ISA increase car prices?
The new technology is likely to increase costs, but it will be up to each manufacturer to decide whether to pass these costs on to buyers.
Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, said: “Obviously this will have an effect on the cost of the vehicle, but probably not massively.” A study completed more than five years ago initially estimated the cost of the system at around £2,000. But cars already have equipment such as cameras so the cost to manufacturers is thought to be negligible.
It is not mandatory to add the system to existing cars and is typically only available on new cars.
It is possible to modernise the ISA, but Mr Williams says the cost of doing so is likely to be high.
Will insurance and repairs increase?
In recent years, motorists have been battling a crisis of rising driving costs, with insurance premiums skyrocketing by 34 percent between the end of 2022 and 2023. ISA technology could help reduce premiums in the long term.
“If you prevent people from having collisions, you will reduce insurance premiums,” Williams says.
If ISA technology prevents speeding offences, it could, in theory, prevent a driver’s annual insurance premiums from rising by hundreds of pounds.
The minimum penalty for speeding is three points on your licence and a £100 fine. Premiums soar by 40 per cent for a driver with three speeding points, according to 2022 data from insurer Admiral.
According to data from the Association of British Insurers, the average annual car insurance premium is £635. Annual payments could rise to £889 for someone with three points on their licence.
However, Cousens does not believe the technology will have a significant impact on insurance premiums, but does say that ISA technology will mean drivers will have to shell out more money for repair costs.
The average cost of repairing a car after a collision will increase with complex driver assistance technology.
“Even a low-impact collision could affect the sensors on the front bonnet. They will have to be checked and recalibrated. The more protected the cars are, the cheaper it will be,” says Cousens.
Nicholas Lyes, from road safety charity IAM Roadsmart, says gone are the days of having to repair a bonnet for £30-£40 as there are so many systems fitted behind the body of the car.
But Mr Lyes says that over time, safer systems will mean fewer collisions, leading to cheaper repair costs.
It will also take some time before the additional benefits of safer roads are reflected in insurance premiums, he says.
“Even if the technology is available, other drivers on the road may not have it, so those who do may not appreciate the full benefits. It needs to be rolled out to many vehicles. Over time, the cost of repairs should come down.”
Mr Williams adds: ‘The more complex the cars are, the more expensive they are to repair.
“It will take a few years before the benefits of the technology outweigh its costs. In the long term, it will make our roads safer.”
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