The driver’s license, the seat belt or the ABS are nowadays something so normal in the car driving that we forget that at the time they did not exist as such. Moreover, it is surprising that the General Directorate of Traffic did not force the use of the seat belt in Spain until 1974 on the road. And in urban areas until 1992. That same year it was also forced to use the rear seat belt. But technology evolves and makes driving safer. Forcing in turn to update the current regulations for avoid accidents. And the umpteenth change has to do with the speed limit. To keep an eye on it, tomorrow’s cars will incorporate what’s known as isa system.
Actually, it is not something exclusive to the General Directorate of Traffic, a public body created in the summer of 1959. The ISA system comes to us from Europe, or rather, from the European Commission. ISA is the acronym for Intelligent Speed Adaptationwhich we can translate as intelligent speed adaptation. In Spain, the DGT itself has come to call it an intelligent speed assistant. Or also intelligent speed assistant ISA. Paradoxically, in English this concept coincides with the acronym ISA, so it is used in both cases.
But let’s get to the point. What is the ISA system? dohow will it affect you as a driver and/or owner of a vehicle? How much time do I have to catch up on this driving issue that will affect Spain and Europe as a whole?
The ISA system and the speed limit
We said that ISA is the acronym for Intelligent Speed Adaptation, in Spanish Intelligent speed adaptation. As explained by the European Commission itself on its official website, the ISA system is integrated into the vehicle and help drivers to respect the speed limit. Interestingly, the acronym itself is also applied to the intelligent speed assistant or Intelligent Speed Assistant.
In short, ISA is a rate limiter. A security system available on some car models but which, like so many other technologies, is not yet present in all vehicle park. Technically, there are different ways to make the ISA system possible. To make it short, with this help integrated into the vehicle we receive a visible or audible warning when we exceed the speed limit. That is if the system is open. We can also find a closed mode of ISA that limit speed automatically. In the middle is an ISA system that increases pressure on the accelerator pedal when we exceed the speed limit.
Regardless of the ISA system incorporated in the vehicle, it is currently a supplement reserved for medium or high ranges Of automobiles. In most cases, the driver himself enters the speed limit manually. In newer models, the information is external or is given by integrated cameras in the vehicle. Be that as it may, it is not present on all models. And this is where the European Union comes in and, as such, the General Directorate of Traffic in Spain.
From complement to obligation
As indicated by the General Directorate of Traffic on its official Twitter account, as of 2022, “the new approved vehicles in Europe” will be required to “carry intelligent speed assistant ISA”. And from 2024, new vehicles sold within European borders. The comment itself specifies that the chosen ISA system “warns the driver when he exceeds the legal limits”. In other words, the European Commission has opted for an open-type ISA system. notify the driver over the speed limit but it is the driver himself who must slow down.
Precisely, the speed limit is one of the easiest measures to implement and that gives the best results in terms of accident reduction on highways or in urban areas. at less speed, greater responsiveness in the event of a possible crash, run over or other unexpected mishap that a driver may encounter on a daily basis.
Hence, the European Parliament approved in 2019 a new regulation that introduces the ISA system. It also specifies some minimums that must be met by cars that want circulate through European territory. Among the requirements, the system must warn the driver of your speeding. Must also allow your disconnection and, in turn, activate when you start the vehicle. Another requirement is that speed limit information be obtained from road signs or electronic map data. Or both. And, finally, it must not prevent the driver from exceeding the speed limit.
In summary, the ISA system will provide information to the driver about the speed limit but he will be the one to make the last decision. Even if the implemented system limits the speed on its own, the driver will have the last word. and you can disable that lock. From there, the relevant legislation and regulations will lead to sanctions or warnings by the authorities.
More tools to avoid accidents
The ultimate goal of implementing the ISA system and thus strengthening compliance with the speed limit is avoid road accidents, especially those that end with a deceased. As we said, at a lower speed, it is more likely to avoid the accident. But if it is the case, at less speed it is more likely that the victims survive.
According to the European Parliament, this measure could prevent up to 25,000 deaths and more than 140,000 serious injuries on European roads in the next 18 years. And to achieve this, there are more elements than will make driving a less dangerous task. Or at least make the driver aware.
And it is that according to data of the General Directorate of Traffic itself, as of May 2021, the average speed at which drivers reported for excess exceeded 29 kilometers per hour to the legal limit. Hence, in Spain, since May the speed limit on urban roads It is between 20 and 50 kilometers per hour. According to the DGT, this “will reduce the risk of dying as a result of an accident by 80%”.
Together with the ISA system, from 2022 technologies focused on making driving safer will be introduced. Of these, a rear camera that detects the cross traffica detector of fatigue, drowsiness, or loss of attention of the driver, emergency braking and involuntary lane change alert. The blocking of the vehicle will also be incorporated if the driver tests positive for the alcohol consumption and one black box that facilitates the investigation after a car accident. And, finally, seatbelt alert in the rear seats. Actually, most of these measures are already included in certain car models. But the ultimate objective of the European Union is that must be included in any vehicle circulating in Europe.
This is an updated version of an article previously published in Hipertextual.