Great Britain tests a way to slow down speeding cars ­ whether the drivers like it or not.

By Bill McGarigle | Contributing Writer

Solution Summary
Problem | How can the UK reduce traffic accidents?
Solution | Use an electronic vehicle speed control system.
Jurisdictions | Use an electronic vehicle speed control system.
Contact | Keith Read, Corporate PR Manager, Motor Industry Research Association, U.K.

Cars are getting smarter. Some newer models have built-in, hands-free cellular phone systems; one-button emergency signaling capability; electronic map displays; voice-guidance navigation systems; and transmitters that can tell cops if the car is being stolen and track its movements. In the near future, most vehicles may even have built-in black boxes that prevent them from exceeding speed limits. Frustrating for Ferrari and Porsche owners, but perhaps the greater safety margin, plus virtual immunity from speeding tickets and the crippling insurance rates they trigger, may be worth the imposition of Big Brother. Researchers estimate speed-limiting devices will cut fatal traffic accidents by almost two-thirds, reduce congestion in some situations, and significantly lower fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

University of Leeds Researcher, Oliver Carsten, says that across Europe, slowing traffic is seen as a pro-environmental measure, a green measure that encourages walking and cycling. "The UK has a national transport policy of encouraging more walking and cycling, and less use of the car. Slowing traffic is one way to make people happier about switching to the more environmentally friendly modes."

Sweden, the Netherlands and Finland are already researching and testing a wide range of speed-limiting applications using roadside beacons, transponders, GPS satellites and GIS. Sweden is planning to have up to 7,000 vehicles with Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) systems on the road within two years. The systems will range from passive to voluntary to mandatory.

Laws in the UK and all across Europe already require heavy trucks to be fitted with electronic speed limiters, in addition to the regulation electronic tachograph. The limiters prevent trucks from exceeding the national speed limit. People can disable them, of course, but they are liable to prosecution if they do. On stopping a truck, the police can check the tachographs record of the vehicles speeds since the beginning of its journey.

In the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is sponsoring a project to look at ways of preventing vehicles from running off the road. One idea was for a system that would automatically reduce speed if the vehicle approaches a curve too fast. Another study is focusing on an intelligent speed-limiting system that would specifically prevent truck rollover on freeway ramps with sharp curves.

One of the more promising Electronic Vehicle Speed Control systems (EVSC) being tested uses signals transmitted from GPS satellites 11,000 miles out in space. A differential GPS (DGPS) receiver picks up the signals from an antenna built into the roof of the vehicle and determines its speed and location with one-meter accuracy. A microprocessor running a GIS and a DVD, containing detailed road maps, translate the data to map coordinates. ISA software compares the speed to the allowable maximum for the section of road the vehicle is on. If the speed is at or below that figure, the driver has normal control. If it is greater, the microprocessor instructs an onboard control system to limit maximum speed accordingly.

Research and Testing
For the past three years, the University of Leeds and the Motor Industry Research Association (MIRA) in the UK have been directing a government-funded study of GPS/GIS speed-control technology and driver responses to the system. The purpose of the project is to explore the possibilities of a speed-limiting system that could significantly decrease the frequency and severity of traffic accidents. The system could conceivably be required on all