New EU rule forcing drivers to use speed limiters in place in UK

A new EU law about speed limiters is in place which is also affecting drivers across the UK too. Under new regulations, every new car and van sold in the EU must be fitted with an automatic speed limiter in a bid to tackle speeding problems.

Although the law was passed by the EU in 2022, the legislation states that it applies to all cars sold in Europe, not just EU member states, so it still applies to the UK even though we're no longer a member and it officially became UK law as of July last year.

If you haven't bought a new car since then, then any car you buy this year could be the first time you've been forced to take a speed limiter in your vehicle.

The devices must vibrate, make noises and even slow down a vehicle automatically when it detects a speed limit being broken.

Drivers will be able to deactivate the limiters, but they'll be instantly reactivated upon getting back in the car.

Pressing down forcefully on the accelerator will deactivate the automatic limiter, a bit like overriding cruise control. Although speeding is obviously illegal, there could be times when the limiter has picked up an incorrect limit such as on a recently altered road.

Graham Conway, managing director at Select Car Leasing, has welcomed the new law but warned that it doesn't mean people should care less about driving responsibly.

He said: "These new laws are hugely welcome in order to help combat speeding and dangerous driving.

"However, it will take years for these changes to be fully implemented in every vehicle on the road, as it will take a long time for cars purchased now to find their way into the ownership of the mass public, so sensible driving is always encouraged.

"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, although it's important to note that the limiters can be manually overridden - which is useful in areas where the technology may not keep up with actual events on the road."