The European Commission has approved a law which will see all new cars from 2022 having to have technology which will restrict vehicles to the speed limits on the roads.

The plans have been on the table for almost a year, but after being approved by European parliament the rules will have to be adhered to by all EU countries, including the United Kingdom even if they have finally worked out a way of leaving the Union by 2022. The UK government has previously agreed that vehicle standards will align with their European partners.

The technology will be controlled by GPS systems, which will detect the speed limits of the roads and automatically slow down cars which are travelling too fast. GPS has been able to recognise speed limits on roads for a number of years, but this will be the first time the information has been used in an automated fashion.

The news has been met with a mixed reaction by driving and road safety campaigners. The AA president Edmund King said there is still plenty of work to be done to make the system safe: “This sort of technology can be problematic when you suddenly switch from a 40 to 30mph zone and there is a taxi right on your tail. Quickly slowing right down isn’t always the wise thing to do.

“It also relies on ensuring that it has a very comprehensive and up-to-date map of all speed limits. What happens when you enter roadworks and the car allows you to go too fast?”

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