Bec Oakes
A brand new speed limit law is set to come into effect next week and it will supposedly 'change the way' we drive.
From 7 July, a new EU law means that all new cars made in Europe will be required to have speed limiters fitted to them.
That means no more pushing it with the '10 percent rule.'
The new Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) systems use speed sign recognition cameras and/or GPS-linked speed limit data to advise drivers of the speed limit, as well as warn them if they’re going over it.
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More advanced systems will even be able to automatically limit the car’s speed.
But, while experts say the use of these ISA systems will 'significantly reduce the risk of penalties', not everybody's happy about the new law.
Some concerns include the fact that the warning signals for speeding can be annoying for the driver, according to Auto Trader.
There are also questions surrounding the technology's accuracy and whether it's advanced enough to do the job effectively.
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Forward-facing cameras with traffic-sign recognition sometimes miss speed changes and there have been instances when a car's sat-nav has incorrectly assumed that they'd exited a motorway.
In cases like this, the car signalling you to reduce your speed from 70 to 30 mph could cause a major issue. And Tesla has also had a few things to say about the new speed limiters.
Firstly, the new law requires that the visual warning that a driver is speeding is located in their direct field of vision.
This proposes a major issue for the manufacturer's Model 3, which displays everything in the central dashboard screen. Theoretically, they will have to add a head-on display to abide by the rules.
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Elon Musk's car company has also been moaning about the law's requirement that the ISA system reads signs beyond just the speed limit.
This includes signs that show the start and end of city limits, school zones and a whole heap of other things related to how fast you should be driving.
They said, per AutoTrader: "Many of the signs outline a requirement to recognised text or small sign modifiers which are difficult to perceive clearly with camera-only systems from a distance."
This relates directly to widespread concerns about the technology's effectiveness.
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Missed speed changes are common in camera-only systems - especially on motorways - and roadside vegetation can sometimes obscure road signs.
However, the European Commission has stated: "The driver is always responsible for adhering to the relevant traffic rules. The ISA system is a best-effort driver assistance system to alert the driver, whenever possible and appropriate."
Basically, it's still your fault if you go over the limit.