The driver's license, seat belt or ABS are now something so normal in car driving that we forget that at the time they did not exist as such. Moreover, it is surprising that the General Directorate of Traffic did not force the use of the seat belt in Spain until 1974 on the road. And in urban areas until 1992. That same year it was also forced to use the rear seat belt . But technology evolves and makes driving safer. Forcing in turn to update current regulations to avoid accidents . And the umpteenth change has to do with the speed limit . To keep an eye on it, tomorrow's cars will incorporate what is known as the ISA system .
In reality, it is not something exclusive to the General Directorate of Traffic, a public body created in the summer of 1959. The ISA system comes to us from Europe, or rather, from the European Commission. ISA is the acronym for Intelligent Speed Adaptation, which we can translate as Intelligent Speed Adaptation . In Spain, the DGT itself has come to call it an intelligent speed assistant. Or also ISA intelligent speed assistant. Paradoxically, in English this concept coincides with the acronym ISA, which is why it is used in both cases.
But let's get down to business. What is the ISA system? How will affect you as a driver and / or owner of a vehicle? How much time do I have to catch up on this driving issue that will affect Spain and Europe as a whole?
The ISA system and the speed limit
We said that ISA is the acronym for Intelligent Speed Adaptation, in Spanish Intelligent Speed Adaptation. As the European Commission itself explains on its official website, the ISA system is integrated into the vehicle and helps drivers to respect the speed limit. Interestingly, the acronym itself also applies to the Intelligent Speed Assistant or Intelligent Speed Assistant.
In short, ISA is a speed limiter. A security system available in some car models but which, like so many other technologies, is not yet present in the entire vehicle fleet . Technically, there are different ways to make the ISA system possible. In order not to get too long, with this help integrated into the vehicle we receive a visible or audible warning when we exceed the speed limit. That is if the system is open. We can also find a closed ISA mode that limits the speed automatically . In the middle there is an ISA system that increases the pressure on the accelerator pedal when we exceed the speed limit.
Whatever the ISA system that the vehicle incorporates, it is currently a complement reserved for medium or high ranges of cars. In most cases, the driver himself enters the speed limit manually. In the most current models, the information is external or it is given through cameras integrated in the vehicle. Be that as it may, it is not present in all models. And this is where the European Union and, as such, the General Directorate of Traffic in Spain comes in.
Complementing the obligation
As indicated by the General Directorate of Traffic in its official Twitter account, as of 2022, “the new homologated vehicles in Europe” will be required to “carry ISA intelligent speed assistant”. And from 2024, the new vehicles sold within European borders. The comment itself specifies that the chosen ISA system “warns the driver when he exceeds the legal limits.” In other words, the European Commission has opted for an open-type ISA system. Warns the driver about the speed limit but it is the driver himself who must reduce speed.
Precisely, the speed limit is one of the easiest measures to implement and that gives the best results in terms of reduction of accidents on the road or in urban areas. At less speed, greater capacity to react to a possible collision, run over or other unexpected mishap that a driver may encounter in their day to day.
Hence, the European Parliament approved in 2019 a new regulation that introduces the ISA system. It also specifies some minimums that must be met by cars that want to circulate through European territory . Among the requirements, the system must warn the driver of his speeding. It must also allow its disconnection and, in turn, be activated when the vehicle is started. Another requirement is that the information on the speed limit will be obtained from traffic signs or electronic map data. Or both. And, finally, it should not prevent the driver from exceeding the permitted speed.
In summary, the ISA system will provide information to the driver about the speed limit but it will be the driver who makes the final decision . Even if the implemented system limits speed on its own, the driver will have the last word. And you can disable that lock . From there, the relevant legislation and regulations will lead to sanctions or warnings from the authorities.
More tools to avoid accidents
The ultimate goal of implementing the ISA system and thus strengthening compliance with the speed limit, is to avoid accidents on the road , especially those that end with a deceased person. As we said, the lower the speed, the more likely it is to avoid the accident. But if that is the case, the slower the speed is, the more likely the victims will survive .
According to the European Parliament, this measure could prevent up to 25,000 deaths and more than 140,000 serious injuries on European roads in the next 18 years. And to achieve this, there are more elements that will make driving a less dangerous task . Or at least, make the driver aware.
And it is that according to data from the General Directorate of Traffic itself, as of May 2021, the average speed at which drivers reported for excess were driving over 29 kilometers per hour to the legal limit. Hence, in Spain, since May the speed limit on urban roads is between 20 and 50 kilometers per hour. According to the DGT, this “will reduce the risk of dying as a result of a run over by 80%.”
Together with the ISA system, from 2022 technologies focused on making driving safer will be introduced. Of these, a rear camera that detects cross traffic , a detector of fatigue, drowsiness or loss of attention of the driver, emergency braking and shift alert stand out. involuntary lane. The vehicle lock will also be incorporated if the driver tests positive for alcohol consumption and a black box to facilitate the investigation after a car accident. And finally, rear seat belt alert. Actually, most of these measurements are already included in certain car models. But the ultimate objective of the European Union is for to be compulsorily included in every vehicle that circulates in Europe.
