All new cars will be fitted with new technology to stop speeding

27 March 2019, 11:34

The rules will come into force in 2022 and will ensure cars never break the speed limit

Speeding fines could become a thing of the past after new EU legislation ruled that from 2022, new cars, vans, lorries and buses sold in Europe will be fitted with new vehicle safety features.

Intelligent Speed Assistance systems - known as ISA - will be able to work out the exact speed limit while driving and will ensure that the car doesn't exceed it.

A provisional EU deal on the legislation was reached in Strasbourg last night, but it's implementation in the UK could depend on the Brexit result.

Other measures to be implemented into road safety standards include Automated Emergency Braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection.

A recent report from Brake and Direct Line showed that nearly 9 in 10 UK drivers support the new measures.

Brake's director of campaigns, Joshua Harris, explained: "This is a landmark day for road safety. These measures will provide the biggest leap forward for safety this century, perhaps even since the introduction of the seat belt.

"The Government must commit to adopting these lifesaving regulations, no matter what happens with Brexit, with a recent Brake and Direct Line report finding that 9 in 10 UK drivers wanted car safety standards in the UK to remain at least as high as those in the EU, post-Brexit."

However, the Daily Mail was told by AA president Edmund King that 'sometimes a little speed' helps to keep drivers safe.

He explained: "The right speed is often below the speed limit, for example, outside a school with children around, but with ISA there may be a temptation to go at the top speed allowed which may not be appropriate.

"Sometimes a little speed also helps to keeps safe on the road, for example, overtaking a tractor on a country road or joining a motorway."