Experts are urging the UK to make speed limiters mandatory on all vehicles to enhance road safety. This call coincides with the EU's implementation of the Vehicle General Safety Regulation, which took effect on July 6, 2022. This regulation mandates new safety features in all EU vehicles, including advanced emergency braking and intelligent speed assistance, but these measures are not yet mandatory in the UK.

The UK Department for Transport (DfT) is researching the potential impacts of adopting these rules, with an update expected soon. The DfT is also a member of the European New Car Assessment Programme, which encourages the use of many technologies included in the EU's safety regulation.

Introducing speed limiters could prevent over 1,700 deaths and 15,000 serious injuries in the next 16 years. AXA UK, along with the road safety charity Brake and other industry groups, is pressing the government to adopt these measures. Alain Zweibrucker, Retail CEO at AXA UK, emphasised that road crashes claim thousands of lives annually in the UK and that the new safety regulations could significantly improve safety for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.

Intelligent speed assistance technology, which uses GPS and traffic sign data to warn drivers when they exceed speed limits, is one such feature that can automatically slow down a vehicle to ensure compliance with speed limits. The push for mandatory speed limiters is seen as a straightforward and effective way to improve road safety across the UK.