Motorists could soon see their vehicles fitted with a device that prevents them from exceeding the speed limit. Known as Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA), the technology will be  undergoing a six-month trial by Transport for London, starting this summer on all roads inside the M25.

The device works by pinpointing a vehicle’s exact location via satellite tracking and a digital road map, and then comparing the location against a comprehensive road database to see whether that vehicle is within the speed limit on any given stretch of road.

When the vehicle reaches the speed limit, the device’s sophisticated electronics intervene to prevent any further acceleration.

Motorists will have the choice of two modes, advisory and voluntary, as well as an override option which disables the system. The advisory setting will inform the driver of the speed limit for the road they are driving on and whether or not they are complying. In the voluntary mode, when the speed limit is reached the accelerator is prevented from speeding up the vehicle.

Transport for London estimates that the number of road casualties in the capital could be cut by 10% if two-thirds of London’s drivers adopt the new technology.

The digital map for the area being tested cost £220,000 and the government plans to create a nationwide map so the ISA system can be rolled out across the country. The ISA trial units cost £400,000 to develop. The system has been welcomed by Southwark Council, which plans to order 300 ISA units for its own fleet, with other local authorities expected to follow.

Tfl’s trial fleet that will be testing the device includes cars, a bus, and a black cab, and will evaluate the technology’s impact on road safety and congestion, as well as monitor driver behaviour, journey times, and the way that vehicle emissions will be effected by driving within the speed limit.

While the ISA system is seen as the “holy grail” by road safety campaigners, who hope it will become mandatory across Britain, it also has its critics, some of whom say it undermines motorists’ freedom and could actually hinder rather than improve road safety by stopping drivers from thinking. Some motoring campaigners are alarmed that the device – which could add around £500 to the production cost of a car – is another case of state interference. Opinions will no doubt be revised once TfL reveals its findings in a report on the trial next year.

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