What is the simplest way to stop drivers from speeding? Make it impossible for them to speed.
That’s the thinking behind a new bill in the US state of Illinois, which would allow courts to fit speed-limiting devices to the cars of offenders caught speeding.
Under the proposal, offenders would keep their licence but be ordered to install a device that physically prevents them from exceeding the posted speed limit.
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It follows a similar move in Virginia, where drivers convicted of speeding at 160km/h or more can opt to install a so-called ‘speed nanny’ instead of having their licence suspended.
The device, known as Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), uses GPS technology and a speed zone database to ensure drivers can’t exceed the nominated speed limit in the area they are driving.
However, its consideration has sparked reasonable privacy concerns.
The device would collect speed data, posted speed limits, time of day, tampering attempts, and override events, all while tracking location data.
The finer details on how some of the data will be used and stored are yet to be provided; however, according to local reporting, location data must be deleted within 90 days unless stated otherwise.
The bill is currently with the committee and still faces two major hurdles — votes in both the House and the Senate — before the Governor can officially sign off on it.
The idea to implement speed limiters comes down to the fact that repeated offenders still speed even after their licence is suspended or revoked.
Licence suspension often fails to keep high-risk drivers off the road, particularly repeat offenders who have demonstrated a willingness to drive on a suspended licence.
So by limiting the speed offenders stay within the bounds of the law without increasing risk to themselves or other on the road.
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And it isn’t just the US that is considering speed limiters.
The New South Wales parliament considered a similar path in 2023, investigating the use of speed-limiting devices to tackle speeding and reduce speeding-related road accidents.
Ultimately, the idea was never implemented.
However, that doesn’t mean speed limiters are not used in Australia.
They are widely used on heavy vehicles to cap their road speed at 100km/h under Australian Design Rules (ADR). These are typically software-based, built into the engine by manufacturers to prevent trucks from exceeding maximum speeds.
And because Australia sources vehicles from Europe, some models sold locally are already fitted with the technology, even if it’s not fully activated.
The European Union made ISA mandatory in all new cars starting mid-2024 to prevent speeding across Europe.
However, instead of capping the car’s speed, the system is designed to warn drivers or lightly intervene when a car travels faster than the designed speed limit.
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Drivers can still exceed the speed limit by pressing harder on the throttle, and while the system can be manually turned off in the car’s settings, it automatically resets to ‘on’ every time the engine starts.
If the Australian government moves toward similar regulations, the hardware is already in place to make it a reality.
