The EU (Still) Aims to Regulate Your Speed Using Satellites

      ALBIN BONNARD/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

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      The recent weeks have been quite tumultuous for Big Brother news—so much so that a particularly concerning development went relatively unnoticed. As reported by the Daily Mail, the European Commission is seeking the authority to compel vehicles to adhere to speed limits using GPS technology.

      Cars in Europe already come off the assembly line equipped with speed monitoring systems, and this includes more than just speedometers. Starting in 2024, the EU has mandated that all new vehicles feature a GPS-based system that tracks current speed limits and audibly alerts drivers if they exceed them. These “Intelligent Speed Assist” systems are also commonly installed in vehicles sold outside the EU, although the warning feature is often optional or deactivated.

      This is reportedly a “watered-down” version of the European Commission's original wish, which was for a comprehensive, satellite-based speed control system. European car manufacturers, likely concerned about significant customer pushback, lobbied vigorously to have this proposal scrapped. Now, according to the paper, Commission officials are once again advocating for full control.

      “This was always intended to be a temporary measure,” a source allegedly informed the Mail. “But eventually, we will simply limit the speed of the vehicle so that it cannot exceed the speed limit.”

      Could this be a case of slippery-slope fear mongering? Always take the source into account. But also consider this: we are already observing fragments of ISA technology being introduced into cars destined for the U.S. If remote speed regulation becomes compulsory in Europe, the technology will likely find its way here, even if it remains inactive due to regional software adjustments.

      In addition to general public opinion, there’s another issue with relying on ISAs for speed regulation: their accuracy is questionable. A study from June revealed that these GPS-based systems fail to detect critical changes (such as a sudden change in speed limits) up to 25% of the time.

      “The vehicle with the poorest performance in real-world tests achieved 91.3% accuracy across the driven distance,” the report stated. “When evaluated based on specific events, the system's accuracy dropped to 74.3%. This means that about 1 in 4 times, ISA indicated an incorrect speed limit.”

      “This level of performance is simply unacceptable for most drivers to depend on and trust ISA,” the report continued.

      “The vehicle with the best performance in real-world tests achieved 98.39% accuracy across the distance driven, which suggests an almost flawless system,” the report added. “However, this vehicle's event-based accuracy was 90.3%. This indicates that even systems performing well on UK roads are still not sufficient for widespread acceptance, with about 1 in 10 events being incorrect.”

      But there's no need for concern, as they have a solution. These proposed advanced ISAs will utilize 5G data from nearby connected devices to better pinpoint your location. That concept sounds quite familiar. But it’s not a big issue that we are being constantly monitored, right? After all, if you're not a criminal, you have nothing to fear.

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