Car Speed Limiter, Limit Your Car Speed and Avoid Accidents!

A car speed limiter is an advanced feature offered by certain cars or installed by itself. So, what are the types of car speed limiters? How does it work and its benefits? You can read the article TransTRACK below for more details!

Definition of Speed Limiter

Speed Limiter, also known as Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), is a system installed on cars that prevents us from going over a set speed. It works in two ways: a manual system works similar to cruise control in that the driver has to set the speed himself. Once the desired speed is set, the car will not pass it, no matter how hard we press the accelerator pedal.

The ISA system works slightly differently; it uses the GPS in our car’s navigation system and camera-based traffic sign recognition technology to find out the speed limit on each road we pass. It will then automatically set the Speed Limiter, so just like the manual version, we won’t go over the limit. This Speed Limiter should even work in temporary speed limit zones, such as those often encountered in roadworks.

What Types of Speed Limiters Are There?

Then, are there any types of speed limiters? What are the types? TransTRACK will explain the following.

Adjustable Speed Limiter

There are two types of speed limiters available. The first – adjustable speed limiter – is by far the most common. It is included as standard equipment on most cars, although we may have to pay more for it on some entry-level versions.

The limiter is set by the driver: we choose the maximum speed we want to travel so that we can drive normally. If the car reaches that speed, it will not go any faster, even if we continue to press the accelerator gently.

In traffic, the limiter will remain active as we slow down and speed up, but we need to adjust it if the speed limit changes. We can also override the limiter if we need to speed up, by pressing the accelerator hard.

Intelligent Speed Limiter

Some manufacturers, including Ford, offer a more advanced system option on some cars, which links the speed limiter to a camera that can see speed limit signs. As we drive into areas with different speed limits, the limiter is adjusted accordingly.

There is no complete guarantee that the camera will recognize every sign, so we still need to pay attention. The system has also misread other signs as speed limits, such as when commercial vehicles display their maximum speed on the rear.

The mandated technology is called Intelligent Speed Assistance. There is much debate about whether Intelligent Speed Assistance should be called ‘Speed Limiter’, as the system can be turned off, as well as overridden when activated.

Automakers can choose between three types of ISA to meet EU regulations:

Informative or Advisory ISA This shows a warning symbol or sounds a warning if you break the speed limit, while also displaying the limit.

Supportive or Warning ISA This increases upward pressure on the accelerator pedal, making it harder to depress, if we are breaking the speed limit.

Intervention or mandatory ISA This reduces engine power, slowing the car to its limit, if we are speeding. The system does not activate the brakes at all, so the speed reduction is gradual.

Automakers can choose which system is suitable, but ISA intervention is the “most effective and appreciated” system.

Many automakers have installed systems similar to ISA intervention. Ford introduced such a system in 2015, although back then it was not activated by default when the car was started, but rather had to be activated by the driver.

Note that ISA is different from the more archaic basic Speed Limiter that has been offered on cars for years, often in conjunction with cruise control.

The basic Speed Limiter is set by the driver, and usually displays the letters LIM when activated

The basic Speed Limiter must be activated by the driver, who then selects a speed that the car should not exceed. Like ISA, they can be overridden by pressing hard on the accelerator, usually past the ‘kickdown’ point, where a second level of resistance exists on the pedal. Unlike ISAs, basic limiters do not read road signs, with the limits set by the driver.

How Speed Limiters Work

Intelligent Speed Assistance systems determine the speed limit in one of three ways: they use cameras that can recognize traffic signs, GPS satellite location technology that can show exactly where you are and what the limit is, or a combination of these two methods.

The old systems had to be activated by the driver, usually by pressing a button on the steering wheel.

However, the system mandated by the EU must be activated every time the car is started. However, the law dictates that the driver must be able to turn off the system manually.

ISA systems that reduce the speed of a car usually work by slowly reducing the amount of fuel fed to the engine, lowering the amount of power it produces, and reducing the speed of the car.

Intelligent Speed Assist will read traffic signs or use GPS data to determine the limit, which will be displayed to the driver.

However, regulations mandate that in addition to being able to turn the system off, the driver must be able to override the system when it is turned on. If an intervening system is installed, the driver only needs to press the accelerator pedal further to bypass it.

The driver can override the intervening system or in the same way: pressing the accelerator pedal further will cause the car to accelerate over the limit.

Advantages of Using a Speed Limiter on a Car

The importance of having a Speed Limiter for our cars is highly emphasized. Here are some of the benefits of a Speed Limiter:

Avoid excessive speeding

The advantage of Speed Limiters is that we can limit our cars by ensuring that we do not exceed the speed. Therefore, when we install them, they will work with our car’s engine system to ensure that the speed limit does not go beyond the set limit. In this way, it becomes very easy and effective to regulate the speed at which one is traveling.

Accidents that cause serious injuries due to speeding can lead to costly lawsuits. Hence, with a Speed Limiter, we can avoid such accidents by avoiding driving at high speeds.

We may realize that vehicles traveling at high speeds can take a lot of time to stop and also control the car to avoid traffic accidents on the road. This is the reason why having a Speed Limiter can make it easier for us to avoid road accidents that can cause injury or even death.

Avoid losing focus

When we are driving, probably one of the things we can see is the speedometer. We tend to keep checking the speed limit to ensure that we are driving within the posted speed limit.

With a Speed Limiter, we don’t need to drive over the speed limit. This is because the Speed Limiter will help us stay within the speed limit, meaning our concentration is always great and we stay focused.

This car Speed Limiter will be very useful if installed on our car. Or, do you already have and feel the benefits of using this car Speed Limiter? If not, you can experience this car speed limiter by using Limiter through  Fleet Management System from TransTRACK.ID. In addition to the limiter, you can use other excellent features such as fuel monitoring, voice monitoring, SOS button, and other features!