Intelligent Speed Assistance

For many years, excessive speed has been identified as one of the primary contributors to fatal road accidents. For over a decade, the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has been advocating the implementation of Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), a driver assistance system that was found to be the most effective in saving lives by a Norwegian study in 2014. ISA employs a speed sign-recognition video camera and/or GPS-linked speed limit data to notify drivers of the current speed limit and automatically restrict the speed of the vehicle as necessary.

ISA systems do not apply the brakes automatically; instead, they limit engine power to prevent the vehicle from accelerating beyond the current speed limit unless overridden. Vehicles equipped with ISA systems are already available for purchase, and Euro NCAP’s decision to award extra points to vehicles with ISA technology has contributed to their increasing popularity.