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Modern Dilemma: High Fatalities Demand Car Speed Limiters, But Are We Ready?

Modern Dilemma: High Fatalities Demand Car Speed Limiters, But Are We Ready?

Speed kills! The statistics support this statement, but why don’t the NHTSA and automakers require speed limiters in vehicles?

When horrific accidents involving at least one vehicle speeding recklessly occur, the issue of limiting speed arises. One such accident occurred in Las Vegas recently involving a vehicle traveling at more than 100 mph, causing an accident that killed nine people, including four children. This is the type of accident that could easily be avoided if modern vehicles were equipped with devices that limit speed.

Why aren’t speed limiters a standard feature in modern vehicles?

When cars didn’t have computers and GPS devices weren’t available, limiting speed would have been unrealistic, but that’s not the case in today’s market. If our cars can learn our driving habits, provide navigational directions, and read the traffic signs on the road, they can also limit the maximum allowable speed in any area. Public roads aren’t the place for speeding, joyriding, and pushing the limits of any vehicle, no matter how empty these roads happen to be at the time. It’s baffling that the NHTSA and automakers haven’t developed the technology to limit a vehicle from exceeding the speed limit by a specified amount.

How fast should cars be allowed to drive?

Technically, the posted speed limit is supposed to be the fastest any vehicle travels on public roads. Let’s be honest: Most of us reading this article, as well as the author, are guilty of driving over the posted speed limit most of the time. In fact, many of us will justify our speeding as being “with the flow of traffic” or something that happens everywhere. There’s a good chance the last time you were driving on the highway, the slowest person was still traveling at more than the posted speed limit. Speeding has become commonplace, but should it be an accepted practice?

How many people died in speeding-related crashes last year?

Although little is being done to slow drivers down, more than 12,000 people in the United States died in speeding-related crashes last year. That’s 12,000 people who didn’t make it home to their families because either they or another driver were speeding and involved in an accident that took their lives. Isn’t that enough of a reason to add speed limiters to modern vehicles?

In addition to the 12,000 deaths, hundreds of thousands of people were injured in speeding-related crashes. How many of these lives were permanently altered because drivers can’t adhere to the posted speed limit?

Should Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) devices be used?

The technology exists to prevent vehicles from exceeding the speed limit or setting a percentage over that speed limit that’s allowable. Considering the crash in Las Vegas, the vehicle wouldn’t have ever reached 100 mph or more if it had an ISA device installed. These devices use GPS and sign recognition to prevent vehicles from exceeding the posted speed limit in an area. These devices could be used to quell reckless speeding while allowing most drivers to travel at a set level above the speed limit when desired.

Would drivers be responsible for speeding if ISA devices are used?

Whenever technology is part of the conversation, the question of what happens with the tech fails comes up. If speed limiters such as the ISA devices are used, drivers would still be responsible for maintaining a proper speed on the road. This means watching the speed in case the ISA fails or when traveling through a construction zone where the speed limit is reduced from the GPS programmed and posted speed. Drivers must be responsible for their vehicles at all times.

Why doesn’t the NTSB force automakers’ hands?

The National Traffic Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended the use of speed limiters a few times over the past few years. Unfortunately, the NTSB cannot force automakers to install ISA devices or tell the NHTSA to demand them. The NTSB has no regulatory or enforcement powers and can only recommend these devices be installed. So far, the NHTSA (the government organization with regulatory and enforcement powers) and automakers have met the recommendations with little to no enthusiasm for the change.

Shouldn’t drivers simply slow down? It’s the law.

While drivers should slow down, it’s hard to get every driver on the road to obey the posted speed limit. Additionally, most speed-related accidents involve vehicles traveling more than 20 mph over the speed limit, which should be considered reckless driving. The only way to truly limit vehicular speed is with technology that limits the maximum speed a vehicle can travel over the posted speed limit. That said, does anyone really want more devices controlling their actions? Probably not.

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