Right now, a so-called digital speed limiter is being tested in parts of Sweden. In principle, the border – the so-called geofencing – is impossible to break.
In Sweden, a new digital speed limit is being tested, which currently makes it impossible to drive faster than the permitted speed. The test takes place in the city of Enköping, where mainly buses and trucks have been involved in the trials.
The technology behind it is called geofencing and can be used, among other things, to regulate the speed of coring trains or ensure that hybrids coring on electricity in certain environmental zones.
Geofencing technology has been investigated by the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI), which highlights its potential for road safety.
– We believe that various speed limiting technologies can have a great potential to reduce the loss of life and health, explains Christian Howard, who is a road safety researcher and project manager at VTI.
The tests have shown that the technology works as expected, but also that there are still challenges. One of the challenges that have arisen during the test concerns errors in the display of the current speed limit.
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This can also be a problem for the so-called ISA (Intelligent Speed Assistance) system used in many modern cars. If the system receives incorrect data, it can lead to unnecessary warnings or other errors.
Although there is positive feedback from many of the participating drivers, there is a need for further development, because the technology can become part of everyday life.
– I am still an optimist, but we must also be realistic and realize that the technology available today has limitations. We must continue to work on that.
– But I definitely believe that technical systems that help drivers to keep their speed are part of the future, explains Christian Howard to Vi Bilägere .
The results from the test in Enköping will be used to evaluate how the geofencing technology can be further developed and disseminated, both in Sweden and internationally.
No attempts have yet been made with geofencing in Denmark. But the possibilities are there. All new cars sold in Denmark and the rest of Europe since 7 July 2024 are already equipped with the speed limiter ISA.
As the rules are now, however, drivers can switch off the technique by stepping harder on the accelerator. But ISA cannot be switched off permanently without coding. This means that all new cars howl every time the engine is turned off or the power is removed.
ISA is set to warn as soon as the speed limit is exceeded by 1 km/h. However, some car manufacturers have made it easy to switch off the technology. In new Teslas, for example, it only requires one press. But with several of the competitors, this requires navigation in several submenus – every time!
