EU set to adopt vehicle speed limiters on all new cars from 2022

The rules would apply to the UK, whatever the outcome of the Brexit process, though the European Parliament can’t formally approve the measures until after May’s European elections.

It’s likely the measure will be adopted in Australia too. The Australian government is currently discussing the measures which have also been proposed by the United Nations, which Australia is a part of.

The EU says the initiative, alongside intelligent speed assistance (ISA), advanced emergency braking, alcohol interlock installation, advanced driver distraction detection and lane-keeping technology could help avoid 140,000 serious injuries in the next 20 years.

Separate countries will have different rules on which elements to adopt, though it’s likely Australia’s will be similar to those adopted in Europe and follow a similar timeline.

"Every year, 25,000 people lose their lives on our roads. The vast majority of these accidents are caused by human error,” said EU Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska.

"With the new advanced safety features that will become mandatory, we can have the same kind of impact as when safety belts were first introduced."

With ISA technology, cars receive information through GPS and a digital map, which tells the vehicle what the speed limit is, when it’s exceeded and has the ability to reduce engine power. This technology can be combined with dash cam’s that can recognise information on road signs.

The system can be overridden in certain circumstances, for instance when overtaking on a motorway, entering a limited speed area, the driver is able to push down hard on the accelerator to overtake.

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has started to test Australian vehicles for speed accuracy as this is a vital element for the speed limiting technology to be adopted in time

Some manufacturer models are available with ISA technology fitted now, including cars from Ford, Renault and Volvo.

Vehicles currently on sale will need to have the technology fitted by 2024.