Speed limiting devices sought
FRANKFURT, Germany — The European Union is moving to require cars and trucks to have technology that would deter speeding as well as data recorders to document the circumstances of accidents.
Those are among the safety features included in a provisional agreement announced Wednesday by the EU’s executive commission.
The package would force vehicles to have so-called intelligent speed assistance, which recognizes speed limits using mapping systems and help drivers observe them by restricting engine power. The driver can override the system by pushing harder on the gas pedal. Earlier versions of the measure envisioned a system that could not be overridden, but that was changed.
The onboard data recorder would further deter speeding by registering the car’s speed.
“Every year 25,000 people lose their lives on our roads,” said Elzbieta Bienkowska, the European Commissioner responsible for internal market and industry. “We can and must act to change this.”
The European Commission, the executive arm of the 28-country EU, said that the features would be required on all vehicles on European roads from 2022.
The other safety features would include systems to warn drivers if they seem drowsy and against distractions such as smart phone use.
Cameras and sensors would be required to avoid accidents while backing up and to help keep a car in a lane.
For cars and vans, the deal requires advanced emergency braking which can detect obstacles.
