Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) - Car Speed Limiters

[Jody]

Forgive my ignorance but how do these work?

I believe most are passive systems that warn you about the speed your doing and what limit you're in, rather than active systems that do something about it.

They are coming but not mandatory as yet.

 

[Drago]

Forgive my ignorance but how do these work? Say I'm in a 40 limit doing 35-40 and pass a sign into a 30 limit does my engine automatically back off until I'm at 30? And on the M-way does my engine stop responding to the accelerator if I try to exceed 70?

Yes, exactly that.

Sadly, in most cases they can be deactivated, the process varying from simple to fiendish depending on the manufacturer. In all cases "on" must be the default condition when the ignition is switched on.

Like you, I'm a anally observant of the speed limit so left it well alone in Mrs D's car, whereas in the Mini it isn't a limiter but simply takes for form of visible and audible speed limit warnings.

Not mandatory here, and quite possibly never will be, but most manufacturers have stated their intention not to waste time and money rejigging cars just for the UK market so buyers wre getting it whether they like it or not (and the Daily Mail masses definitely don't like it.)

 

[Alex321]

Much safer for vulnerable road users, even though drivers not paying attention at 20 mph can still inflict some damage.
I think a lot will just buy a car not made in the EU to avoid this speed limiter.

It is nothing to do with where the car is made.

I don't think you will be able to buy a new car in the UK without it fitted.

You *can* turn them off, though they will be on by default.

 

[Alex321]

Forgive my ignorance but how do these work? Say I'm in a 40 limit doing 35-40 and pass a sign into a 30 limit does my engine automatically back off until I'm at 30? And on the M-way does my engine stop responding to the accelerator if I try to exceed 70?

Basically, yes. They don't apply brakes, so you shouldn't get rammed by a car behind whose driver wasn't going to follow the limit.

And you can override it by a hard push on the accelerator.

They use a combination of camera and GPS data to determine the current speed limit.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Thanks @Jody @Drago & @Alex321 for explaining and apologies to @HLaB who kindly provided a link with info that I hadn't bothered to read (I have now)

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Software in a closed environment will work quite merrily as long as the equipment is serves is still functioning,

Yes - I used to work on a system that was over 10 years old and ran a whole warehouse
no comms of any kind with anything and did everything it needed to do and everything is would ever need to do

It was eventually replaced - they knocked the whole mill down (it was an old cotton mill) and built a new modern warehouse next door and the computer system was scrapped with it
but modern car systems are not totally isolated - the satnav needs map updates and if these are out of date then the speed limits on the roads will be wrong
and that needs comms
and that needs software that interfaces with something on the other end
which is what has killed the 2019 traffic part of my car satnav
4 years into a lifetime license - and it is screwed!


computers were great before some idiot decided they needed to talk to each other!!!!

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Basically, yes. They don't apply brakes, so you shouldn't get rammed by a car behind whose driver wasn't going to follow the limit.

And you can override it by a hard push on the accelerator.

They use a combination of camera and GPS data to determine the current speed limit.

Dunno about that because I have not tried it much
however when we were coming back from Scotland earlier in the year we were in bad traffic in a 50 mph area and I had the cruise control set to about 40
it has distance sensors and it was set to stay a reasonable distance behind whatever was in front
The speed increased and I accelerated
when I took my foot off the accelerated after a while and the car immediatly slowed down to 50 mph - so fast that it must have used the brakes or changed down (it is a cvt system so does weird things)
not sure of the speed limiter would be as dramatic - but cars slowing down that fast without direct driver control or danger of collision from in front - was not a good idea!!

anyway - at the moment I can;t see the point - mostly cruise control is all I need if there is a speed limit and I want to stick to it with less effort - like 50 mph sections with average speed cameras

 

[Alex321]

Dunno about that because I have not tried it much
however when we were coming back from Scotland earlier in the year we were in bad traffic in a 50 mph area and I had the cruise control set to about 40
it has distance sensors and it was set to stay a reasonable distance behind whatever was in front
The speed increased and I accelerated
when I took my foot off the accelerated after a while and the car immediatly slowed down to 50 mph - so fast that it must have used the brakes or changed down (it is a cvt system so does weird things)
not sure of the speed limiter would be as dramatic - but cars slowing down that fast without direct driver control or danger of collision from in front - was not a good idea!!

anyway - at the moment I can;t see the point - mostly cruise control is all I need if there is a speed limit and I want to stick to it with less effort - like 50 mph sections with average speed cameras

Some forms of adaptive cruise control can use the brakes to keep your distance "appropriate" from the vehicle in front.

But adaptive cruise control isn't the same thing as these ISA systems.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I don't see how this is going to work really, even if made mandatory in the UK. Those who don't speed anyway are probably not going to switch it off. Those who are partial to breaking the limit will switch it off. My GPS (aka google maps on my phone) flashes up red if you exceed the limit. In an ideal world, this should be linked to the car's injectors and act the same way as the car's speed limiter i.e. if you try to go any faster it won't let you.

 

[cougie uk]

Amphibious vehicles might be all the rage by then.

I saw an amphibious ice cream van on the news this week. What will they think of next? Go for a swim and get a 99er too !

 

[Drago]

I don't see how this is going to work really, even if made mandatory in the UK. Those who don't speed anyway are probably not going to switch it off. Those who are partial to breaking the limit will switch it off. My GPS (aka google maps on my phone) flashes up red if you exceed the limit. In an ideal world, this should be linked to the car's injectors and act the same way as the car's speed limiter i.e. if you try to go any faster it won't let you.

They introduced the switchy-offee bit after public outcry. If enough shoplifters complain they'll be able to switch off CCTV...

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I saw an amphibious ice cream van on the news this week. What will they think of next? Go for a swim and get a 99er too !

I saw that - I sa lots of people trying to help save it

I remember thinking that some of them were after a free lolly!!!

 

[Exlaser2]

I don't see how this is going to work really, even if made mandatory in the UK. Those who don't speed anyway are probably not going to switch it off. Those who are partial to breaking the limit will switch it off. My GPS (aka google maps on my phone) flashes up red if you exceed the limit. In an ideal world, this should be linked to the car's injectors and act the same way as the car's speed limiter i.e. if you try to go any faster it won't let you.

It’s is mandatory now. For most cars you switch it off by driving though the speed limiter by blipping the throttle and then accelerating which switch’s it off for that journey only . As soon as you stop the engine and restart the limiter is in operational again.