All cars sold in Scotland and the UK will be fitted with a speed limiter, drivers have been told. The new addition is set to control speed limiters on cars as the Home Office reports there were over 6,000 motorists caught speeding every day in the UK last year.
This comes as the new Highway Code rules came into force this year to make roads more safe for road users, giving pedestrians and cyclists more priority. It appears the speed limiters will be useful to many after around 2,400 people Google search this per month to find out what’s the national speed limit in the UK, according to Vanarama.
It is a maximum of 60mph on a single carriageway and 70mph on dual carriageways. Most motorists will be familiar with the national speed limit road sign, which has a diagonal black rectangle intersecting a white circle from the top right to bottom left. This denotes where the national speed limit begins.
National Accident Helpline has urged drivers to be aware of the new change before they consider snapping up a new car over the coming months.
The firm says that drivers may be restricted from making a claim if they are found to have exceeded the speed limit at the moment of a crash.
Speed limiters will be added to every new car sold from July 6 and here's everything you need to know about them.
What is a speed limiter?
It is a safety device that can be fitted in your car so that your vehicle doesn’t cross a certain speed set by you. Unlike cruise control, which maintains a consistent speed throughout your journey to eliminate the use of the accelerator, a speed limiter allows you to accelerate and decelerate as you normally would.
This is provided you don’t go above the speed limit you set. It therefore helps you be more conscious of your driving speed as opposed to making long drives easier, which is the main purpose of cruise control.
Why are speed limiters important?
The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has been pushing for the use of mandatory speed limiters as this is predicted to reduce collisions by 30 per cent. The European Commission, meanwhile, anticipates that the use of this technology, along with other measures included in the legislation, could prevent 140,000 serious road traffic injuries by 2038. The commission also hopes to bring road deaths down to zero by 2050.
What happens if a new driver is caught speeding?
If new drivers are caught speeding which results in six or more penalty points being added to their license within the first two years of passing their driving test, they will be disqualified from driving and their driving license will be revoked.
How much is a speeding fine?
If you’ve been caught speeding in the UK, the amount you will be fined will depend by how many miles per hour you were driving over the limit when you were caught. Speeding fines in the UK are related to your weekly income, with the following being their starting point:
- Band A – 50 per cent of your weekly income
- Band B – 100 per cent of your weekly income
- Band C – 150 per cent of your weekly income
Although speeding fines are based on your income, there are limits in place. The minimum amount you will be fined is £100.
Although not a concrete rule, first time offenders may receive a £100 fine and three points on their license if their offence isn’t excessive. However, if you were speeding on a motorway the maximum fine increases to £2,500.
Jonathan White, Legal and Compliance Director at National Accident Helpline, said: “The new speed limiters, which are expected to be introduced on cars that are sold from July 6 2022, will hopefully see new drivers sticking to the recommended speed limits. The technology is designed to warn drivers when they are approaching the speed limit.
"If the driver doesn’t slow down, the speed limiter reduces the engine’s power and the vehicle’s speed. According to (road traffic charity) Brake, excess speed is a contributory factor in one in three fatal road crashes, so the introduction of speed limiters should not only improve road safety, but also lead to less fatalities on the roads.
“We helped more than 1,000 pedestrians and 877 cyclists to make a claim last year after being hurt in a road traffic accident, with excessive vehicle speed being a factor in many of these cases. With this in mind, we hope the introduction of speed limiters will help to reduce road accident casualty figures in the years ahead.
“It’s important to note that if drivers of cars fitted with speed limiters are involved in a road accident that wasn’t their fault, and there is evidence that they have exceeded the speed limit, they may not be successful in making a claim or could see their compensation reduced. We encourage all drivers to pay attention to the roads, stick to the speed limit, and drive safely.”
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