Majority of drivers in US back anti-speeding technology in cars, survey finds

FILE-Cars drive along I-95 on June 30, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

A recent survey finds that most drivers endorse anti-speeding technology in their cars. 

The report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) noted that over 60% of drivers say having an audible and visual warning in their cars to indicate when they travel over the speed limit would be adequate. 

IIHS researchers polled 1,802 drivers to share their feedback on intelligent speed assistance systems (ISA), which use GPS and a speed limit database, sometimes combined with cameras capable of reading posted signs, to identify and adapt to the actual speed limit.

RELATED: New cars in the US could beep at drivers when they speed

Other versions of this technology use a sound, warning, or flash an alert when a driver goes over the speed limit or exceeds it by a specific amount. 

Over 80% of respondents agreed they would want a feature displaying the current speed limit, while 70% stated they would want an "unobtrusive tone" to sound when the speed limit changes.

Roughly half of drivers said they wouldn’t oppose vehicle technology that makes the accelerator pedal harder to press or automatically limits speed. 

Separately, about 70% of drivers said they would want ISA in their next car if their insurance company lowered their premiums based on evidence that they don’t speed.

Starting next month, the European Union will require all new cars sold there to have the ISA technology — although drivers would be able to turn it off.

Excessive speeding has factored in over a quarter of U.S. traffic deaths, with the IIHS noting that in 2022 there were more than 12,000 fatalities. The agency cited data from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

This story was reported from Washington, D.C.  


 

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