As we cruise into the future, technology is taking the wheel more than ever before. But what happens when innovation in the name of safety starts to backfire? That's the question many Australian drivers are asking as they brace for the potential arrival of the European Union's latest automotive law – the Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) system.

From July this year, the EU has rolled out what could be one of the most divisive pieces of legislation in the history of driving. The ISA system is designed to ensure drivers adhere to speed limits by using cameras and GPS data to monitor the vehicle's speed against the posted limit. If the car exceeds the limit by as little as 1km/h for a few seconds, the system springs into action, warning the driver through a variety of means – from audible signals and dashboard alerts to automatic engine power reduction and even physical feedback from the accelerator pedal.

The European Union's new ‘Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA)’ system to enforce speed limits has sparked controversy. Credit: Shutterstock

This law, which took effect last month in Europe, requires all new cars sold after that date to have the ISA system enabled by default, with no option to turn it off permanently. While this system isn't mandated in Australia yet, some manufacturers are already sending vehicles with the ISA enabled to our shores.

After spending over a month with a vehicle equipped with ISA, it's become clear that this well-intentioned safety feature may have some unintended and dangerous consequences. The system's zero-tolerance approach to speed limit enforcement, with no margin for error, has led to a significant increase in driver distraction and frustration. For instance, the speedometers in most cars are calibrated to over-report speed slightly, meaning that a car beeping at you for doing 60km/h is likely accusing you of speeding when you're not.

The lack of a buffer zone is a glaring oversight. Speed cameras in Queensland, for example, allow a 10% margin before issuing a ticket. A similar buffer for ISA would prevent the system from penalizing drivers for negligible speed infractions.

Moreover, the inability to permanently disable the ISA system means drivers are forced to navigate through complex vehicle menus while driving, which is a distraction in itself. Some manufacturers, like Hyundai, are introducing shortcuts to toggle the system off, but this is a workaround for a feature that many drivers didn't ask for and don't want.

The ISA system is just a step away from more invasive measures, such as using the vehicle to report speeding to authorities or even preventing the car from exceeding speed limits altogether. This raises serious concerns about the erosion of personal freedom and choice on the road.

In Australia, local authorities are keeping an eye on the ISA's rollout in Europe. There's little doubt that if deemed effective, similar mandates could be introduced here, citing data that links reduced speeding with fewer road fatalities. But at what cost to our autonomy and mental well-being?

Freedom of choice is a cornerstone of our society, and numerous studies have shown that the ability to choose is closely linked to happiness. While we at the Seniors Discount Club certainly don't advocate for reckless driving or endangering others, we do believe in the right to choose to comply with the law, rather than being forced into compliance.

As we navigate the road ahead, it's crucial to balance safety with common sense and personal freedom. The ISA system, in its current form, seems to tip that balance in a direction that could lead to more harm than good. It's time for drivers, lawmakers, and car manufacturers to engage in a serious dialogue about the future of driving and the role technology should play in it.

Key Takeaways

• The European Union has introduced an 'Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA)' system to help drivers comply with speed limits, which has been met with controversy.
• Vehicles with ISA will use cameras or GPS data to monitor speed limits and alert drivers if they exceed the limit, even by 1km/h, with various warning methods.
• The ISA system, not yet mandated in Australia, has been criticised for increasing driver workload and distraction, as well as not allowing a margin for error.
• There are concerns that the rise of such technology could lead to government mandates that eliminate the freedom to choose, with implications for personal freedom and autonomy.

What are your thoughts on the ISA system? Have you experienced it in a new vehicle, or are you concerned about its potential implementation in Australia? Share your views in the comments below, and let's discuss the road ahead for Australian drivers.

 

[CliffE]

My 2000 Commodore and my 2012 Navara both have a setting called SPEED ALERT. I only use it on long trips where the speed is 100 or more and set the alert for 2K's over the limit. On the M1 into Brisbane you are lucky if you can do 100K for any length of time.
To stay focused on driving I do the three mirrors, look at the scenery left and right or vice versa and repeat all that after 10-15 seconds but when I realise that I am not doing it I slow down an bit or pull over somewhere and get out the car and walk around to clear the head.
I know the capabilities of my vehicles and me in various conditions.

 

[CliffE]

I think this is a most dangerous thing to have on your car, it will cause more accidents than what we have now. Especially in Australia where we got a big country to travel in, and will not work here. What we needed more is our roads needs bad repair or rebuild.

And ALERT drivers, remember the world needs more LERTS

 

[it's a me]

How will this affect police and other emergency vehicles. Plus If one of these emergency vehicles is coming up behind you and this warning comes on in your car and you are distracted or can't push the excelerator down properly you won't be able to get out of the way. The same goes if there is an accident happening in front of you when you are driving and you need speed to get out of the way but you don't have because your car slows you down when you try to go faster I suppose you just get to die in an accident that you could have avoided if your car did not stop you from using a little more speed. There are so many other situations I can think of that make this particular device dangerous to drivers. I would not like to see it in vehicles in Australia.

 

[Michelle Sc]

Australians have a problem with freedom of choice, it is ok to choose to speed and kill people, but heaven forbids if you mention they have no so called freedom of choice when it comes to go to vote which is compulsory... I would prefer the so called freedom of choice to be reversed. I currently have a car that remnds me if I ever go over the limit and I immediately reduce my speed well before the message is finished... I cant figure out where is the problem. ( Btw I come from a country where to vote is a citizen right and a duty, not compulsory and I always voted... ).
Not long after our arrival in Australia bought a second hand European car, had an accident a few month later, a drunk wiped out my car... I survived practically unscathed because I was wearing the seatbelt in the car, at a time where Australians would not dream to have their freedom curtailed by wearing one... I saved that drunk a lot of trouble not having a corpse to deal with

 

[Dave5290]

This system might work in the EU where there are many multi lane country roads and as long as people are also discouraged from going below the speed limit in the middle lanes (so might work in perfect conditions).
Australia on the other hand has many K's of country roads where if you are lucky you get an overtaking lane occasionally and everyone knows that the overtaking lane in 300m sign is the indication for the driver that was doing less than the speed limit to speed up to just over the speed limit so you can't legally pass - this system would make it impossible to get past many drivers without getting a ticket or make it impossible if the car is limited to the speed limit by the tech.
I see this as a serious safety concern on country roads that has the potential to cost lives, but that would just be blamed on speeding or country drivers like it is now.
I understand some will disagree with me - what I would say to you is go for a number of drives in the country (at least 4 hours one way) then think about what the issues are - poor road maintenance, fatigue, inconsiderate drivers and the old favourite speed (my experience is most drivers on country roads drive at or just below the speed limit because the fines are expensive).

 

[Dave5290]

“….it’s become clear that this well-intentioned safety feature may have some unintended and dangerous consequences.”

Any new changes must be checked over a period of time for reliability before being implemented. Even then, how can we be sure?

This proposed system may be reliable (does it's intended function) but it can still cause unintended and dangerous consequences (fatalities or serious accidents).

 

[Jerry Lee]

This system spells more trouble and more danger than any good its bad enough we have lane departure and auto braking systems they try hard but the wrong way about it a beeping sound will alert you wont take your foot off the pedal and anything that cut the revs of your engine just because you are over the limit 100% of causing an accident and so on .

 

[Rob44]

Speeding is the number 1 cause of fatal road accidents in Australia.

Every time you try to beat a red light, overtake a car going the speed limit or attempting to get ahead when merging on the freeway, you’re likely to be speeding. Whenever you are driving over the speed limit, there are certain risks you face as the driver:

• You can lose control of the vehicle.
• You reduce your capacity to brake within a safe distance behind another vehicle.
• You increase the distance necessary to stop your vehicle safely.
• You decrease the reaction time you need to adjust to sudden changes on the road.
• You expose yourself and your passengers to undue road accident risks and possibly severe damage and injuries.

Which speed limit do you refer to 40kph, 50kph, 60kph, 70kph, 80 kph or 100kph and 110kph?

Hitting things due to not paying attention and thus stopping abruptly is the cause of all motor accidents and injuries in Australia. If you want safety then don't import large bulky vehicles such as SUVs that conceal from the following driver what is happening 100m ahead; and ensure that all imported vehicles allow good all-round visibility (decent wing mirrors) so you don't have to turn your head to see what is otherwise in your car's blind spot (particularly in heavy traffic travelling within the speed limit); don't put bull-bars on them particularly for driving in town. And don't jump red lights at any speed, even one within any speed limit.

In other words drive a sensibly designed car defensively; it isn't that hard.

 

[Rob44]

So speeding has nothing to do with? If drivers are speeding AS WELL AS those other things don't you think the risk of a collision heightens? Don't you think that if a collision DOES happen the higher the speed the more damage that is done? Don't you think that at higher speeds the chance of avoiding a collision decreases and any collisions are more deadly?

Some basic physics - higher speeds mean more collisions and more severe collisions.

Some basic human behaviour. Not paying attention can kill anybody even when the car driver is travelling at 20kph; and indeed less. Have you ever ridden a bicycle in heavy traffic?

Yes; momentum, F=mv. I have studied physics to University level. Greater speeds do not mean more accidents as that depends on a number of external conditions; just greater fatalities in the accident that does occur.

Two extreme examples, high-speed trains and aeroplanes. Speed does not kill. Stopping abruptly can.

 

[Rob44]

Australians have a problem with freedom of choice, it is ok to choose to speed and kill people, but heaven forbids if you mention they have no so called freedom of choice when it comes to go to vote which is compulsory... I would prefer the so called freedom of choice to be reversed. I currently have a car that remnds me if I ever go over the limit and I immediately reduce my speed well before the message is finished... I cant figure out where is the problem. ( Btw I come from a country where to vote is a citizen right and a duty, not compulsory and I always voted... ).
Not long after our arrival in Australia bought a second hand European car, had an accident a few month later, a drunk wiped out my car... I survived practically unscathed because I was wearing the seatbelt in the car, at a time where Australians would not dream to have their freedom curtailed by wearing one... I saved that drunk a lot of trouble not having a corpse to deal with

I have a similar device; it's called a mechanical speedometer and in addition two working eyes as well as a right foot that can sense how much pressure I have put on the accelerator pedal. At one time cars had such poor sound-proofing that I could the judge the speed of the engine in the gear I was in accurately enough to change gear without using the clutch, which also meant that my ears could tell me whether I was driving at a speed beyond the local speed limit.

There is definitely something wrong with modern cars!

 

[johno cpfc]

It do's not matter what you put into vehicles there will always be the driver who.s only intent is to get wherever they are going at what ever speed they may choose,so if you continually ignore road rules you WILL eventually come unstuck . That includes speeding and not wearing seat belts or a mirriad other distractions including using the phone .

 

[Miss Jewel]

So you need to go faster to avoid an object??? FFS, what are you doing behind the wheel of a vehicle.

Greg350!Such nastiness! We are all entitled to share our opinion and contribute to without the personal attacks!
It will put people off about sharing thoughts.
I am not going to bother commenting any more.

 

[Rob44]

It do's not matter what you put into vehicles there will always be the driver who.s only intent is to get wherever they are going at what ever speed they may choose,so if you continually ignore road rules you WILL eventually come unstuck . That includes speeding and not wearing seat belts or a mirriad other distractions including using the phone .

Greg350!Such nastiness! We are all entitled to share our opinion and contribute to a without the personal attacks!
It will put people off about sharing thoughts.
I am not going to bother commenting any more.

My being able to accelerate rapidly to escape the non-speeding idiot not paying due care and attention to my noisy single banger motorcycle on his immediate left when he overtook me and wanted to turn left certainly saved my wife and I from very serious injury. We were both within the 70kph speed limit travelling at legal 65-70kph. But I guess having full control of the throttle gave me at least that near instant extra 10-20kph that I needed.

 

[DLHM]

Greg350!Such nastiness! We are all entitled to share our opinion and contribute to a without the personal attacks!
It will put people off about sharing thoughts.
I am not going to bother commenting any more.

You have every right @Miss Jewel to share your opinion. It would be a shame to withhold your contributions because of Greg350’s ignorance and inability to see another point of view. People like that get a feeling of importance when they are being pr*cks. Just ignore his comments and say whatever you like.

 

[BruceC]

This already being implemented.
Newcastle, NSW is designated a Smart City.
They are well-advanced in implementing what is called IoT technology - The Internet of Things.
Sounds harmless ... right?
Well I read the 37 pages of the Newcastle City Council's abstract of benefits, and I was more than a little disquieted.

https://newcastle.nsw.gov.au/getattachment/bc0f498f-b469-493d-83cd-c3b09ac8acb2/Item-13-Lord-Mayoral-Minute-G20-Smart-Cities-Alliance-Pilot-City.pdf

This whole 37 page document is quite revealing, and shows the crushing expense the entire nation will be subjected to, in its full implementation.

What I am writing right now will be recorded and one day used to assist in the compilation of my personal Social Credit score, as is already in operation in the Totalitarian State of China.

Our own Internet Service Providers (ISP) are required to retain the metadata for every consumer, for at least two years.
How do we know if it is expanded to be "kept permanently" now?
We do not have that information, though searches still say "2 yrs."

Read page one carefully to see who is behind this "innovation for our own good."
Then flick to page 15, and read about the "Internet of Things."

Quote: "How should we tell people about IoT sensors on their street? How shouldplanners anticipate and measure social impacts from technology?

That is a direct extract from Page 15.

What is there to explain?
What social impacts?
Are they planning to deceive us with quack-technology, that will record EVERY time we leave our home and EVERY TIME WE RETURN?
This will apply to every person living in every street in Newcastle.

Sound a little like a Social Credit surveillance monitor?

How does it help society to know if I walked across the road to the supermarket, or if my neighbour is regularly using the services of certain female workers?

Six Cities: Smart people leading smart city innovation

A NSW region of six cities has joined together to accelerate economic growth and lead the way for smart city development in Australia.

independentaustralia.net

It is time truly independent bodies were set up to monitor what is going on covertly.
Newcastle City Council has NOT released information regarding this plan to surveil residents via IoT surveillance cameras.

The GPS Navigation screen already beeps at me if I exceed the speed limit by 3 kph.
What's wrong with that as a better form of self-monitoring?
It is NOT the people who exceed the speed limit by 2kph who are causing the fatalities ... it is inattention, and the maniacs who exceed the speed limits by 20 to 50 kph.

This already being implemented.
Newcastle, NSW is designated a Smart City.
They are well-advanced in implementing what is called IoT technology - The Internet of Things.
Sounds harmless ... right?
Well I read the 37 pages of the Newcastle City Council's abstract of benefits, and I was more than a little disquieted.

https://newcastle.nsw.gov.au/getattachment/bc0f498f-b469-493d-83cd-c3b09ac8acb2/Item-13-Lord-Mayoral-Minute-G20-Smart-Cities-Alliance-Pilot-City.pdf

This whole 37 page document is quite revealing, and shows the crushing expense the entire nation will be subjected to, in its full implementation.

What I am writing right now will be recorded and one day used to assist in the compilation of my personal Social Credit score, as is already in operation in the Totalitarian State of China.

Our own Internet Service Providers (ISP) are required to retain the metadata for every consumer, for at least two years.
How do we know if it is expanded to be "kept permanently" now?
We do not have that information, though searches still say "2 yrs."

Read page one carefully to see who is behind this "innovation for our own good."
Then flick to page 15, and read about the "Internet of Things."

Quote: "How should we tell people about IoT sensors on their street? How shouldplanners anticipate and measure social impacts from technology?

That is a direct extract from Page 15.

What is there to explain?
What social impacts?
Are they planning to deceive us with quack-technology, that will record EVERY time we leave our home and EVERY TIME WE RETURN?
This will apply to every person living in every street in Newcastle.

Sound a little like a Social Credit surveillance monitor?

How does it help society to know if I walked across the road to the supermarket, or if my neighbour is regularly using the services of certain female workers?

Six Cities: Smart people leading smart city innovation

A NSW region of six cities has joined together to accelerate economic growth and lead the way for smart city development in Australia.

independentaustralia.net

It is time truly independent bodies were set up to monitor what is going on covertly.
Newcastle City Council has NOT released information regarding this plan to surveil residents via IoT surveillance cameras.

The GPS Navigation screen already beeps at me if I exceed the speed limit by 3 kph.
What's wrong with that as a better form of self-monitoring?
It is NOT the people who exceed the speed limit by 2kph who are causing the fatalities ... it is inattention, and the maniacs who exceed the speed limits by 20 to 50 kph.

Robb44 will call you a conspiracy theorist and come up with some stupid comment to try and discredited you.
But you are absolutely correct.
I watched as Sci-Fi film about20 years ago.
to leave your house you had to punch a code in a keypad and then again on your return.
if you didn’t punch in the code and left your house the Police were on your doorstep awaiting your return.
That’s exactly what will happen in the near future.

 

[BruceC]

We have had road rules for decades, we have had speed limits for decades too. So these rules are controlling our lives? Would you prefer a total free for all, no road rules, no speed limits, drivers doing what they wish. Some undeveloped countries are like that and their road death rates are in the 30s and 40s per 100,000 people, ours is around 4.5 deaths per 100,000. How can you have a such low opinion of human life.

Cashless society was the beginning? Where, where are we going cashless? It's been stated countless times now cash will always be around, maybe you have trouble reading. Yes cash use is reducing, because people want that, but there is no sign of going cashless, just stupid paranoid thinking.

Passcodes, movements recorded, hahahaha, just more conspiracies, total B. Go get your head checked out, some serious issues going on there.

I am glad you live in a bubble!
Obviously you don’t get out much.
I can give you a list of at least 5 retail shops that will not accept cash.
Our own Casey Council will not accept cash at their Bungil Place Venue.
Many restaurants will not accept cash.
It‘s not about speeding because only the very small minority of idiots speed.
It‘s all about controlling how and what people do!
I’m very happy for you if you are willing to have everything you do in your controlled by someone else.
Maybe that’s because your to lazy or to stupid to see what is happening before your very eyes.

 

[BruceC]

@Miss Jewel please do not stop posting just because of @Greg350
He is an arrogant person who lives in a little bubble that will one day break and he will see what is actually happing around him.
He thinks he is the only person who is correct on every subject.

 

[Abby2]

Can hardly wait till they have self driving cars with AI technology when the cars can communicate with each other

 

[DLHM]

View attachment 56934Can hardly wait till they have self driving cars with AI technology when the cars can communicate with each other

So refreshing to read your message @Abby2. That’s brightened my morning. (The skies aren’t very bright ). Wishing you a good day too!

 

[Veggiepatch]

Robb44 will call you a conspiracy theorist and come up with some stupid comment to try and discredited you.
But you are absolutely correct.
I watched as Sci-Fi film about20 years ago.
to leave your house you had to punch a code in a keypad and then again on your return.
if you didn’t punch in the code and left your house the Police were on your doorstep awaiting your return.
That’s exactly what will happen in the near future.

I've watched many hundreds of science fiction movies over the years and they all tell the future. Because you said so.

Keep building your buttercup catalogue of impending diseases and pandemics. That's your "forte".