US road crash investigators call for speed limiters in new cars – report

The peak body for road crash investigations in the US has called for car makers to install speed-limiting devices in new models, following a number of highly publicised fatal incidents caused by excessive speeding.

As reported by industry publication Automotive News, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) – which investigates the causes of car crashes – concluded its investigation into a January 2022 incident which resulted in the deaths of nine road users, finding speed was the main contributor to the horror toll.

The crash was caused by a Dodge Challenger driver – high on cocaine and phencyclidine (PCP) – who ran a red light in Las Vegas, crashing into a people-mover at 165km/h, killing the muscle car’s two occupants and all seven people inside the van.

Following the conclusion of the investigation, the NTSB sent a letter of recommendation to 17 car makers – including General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen, BMW and Honda – urging them to implement ‘intelligent speed assistance technology’.

Known simply as ISA, basic intelligent speed assistance systems prompt the driver with a warning to inform them when they are driving faster than the posted speed limit, which is determined by cameras reading speed signs as well as GPS technology.

However, ISA systems cannot physically reduce the speed of a car, unlike speed limiters in several modern vehicles which cut throttle inputs when the desired driver-set limit is reached.

ISA was implemented in Europe last year and will be mandatory in all new cars sold on the continent from July 2024, though such regulations are yet to be put in place in the US and Australia.

Despite the NTSB’s desire to make ISAs mandatory in new cars sold in the US, the government agency does not have the power to introduce safety regulations – with that role held by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which told Automotive News it is reviewing the recommendations.

“We know the key to saving lives is redundancy, which can protect all of us from human error that occurs on our roads,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said in a media statement. “What we lack is the collective will to act on NTSB safety recommendations.”

In response to the NTSB’s recommendations for ISAs to become mandatory, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AAI) – an automotive industry lobby group which lists almost all major car-makers in the US as its members – said it would support the technology’s implementation, but suggested other means to reduce the road toll.

“We support a safe system approach to addressing speed-related crashes," the AAI told Automotive News in a media statement.

“While vehicle technology can play a role, we've advocated for a continued emphasis on transportation policies that focus on driver education and awareness, strong laws and law enforcement, and infrastructure investment – and funding to support these safety initiatives.”