Europe's cars to have speed limiters
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The reading
All new cars sold in Europe from 2022 will have technology to limit their speed. New safety rules from the European Union will require new cars to have "intelligent speed assistance" systems. These will be standard equipment on cars, just like seatbelts and airbags. There are other things that cars will be fitted with. All cars will have breathalyzers that won't allow driving if the driver has drunk too much alcohol. Cars must also have advanced emergency braking, a built-in data recorder, drowsiness and distraction monitoring, and sensors to help when reversing. The EU said 25,000 people are killed each year on Europe's roads. Most accidents are caused by human error. The new safety systems will reduce road deaths.
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There has been mixed reaction to the new safety features. Some people agree with them, while others disagree. The EU said the features would make driving a lot safer. It said: "With the new advanced safety features...we can have the same kind of impact as when safety belts were first introduced." It added that the new safety features could save up to 10,500 lives and avoid up to 60,000 serious injuries by the year 2030. Many drivers are unhappy with the technology. They say it could make roads more dangerous because driving requires human judgment. One British driver said he didn't want data recorders in his car because that was like Big Brother was watching him.
Sources:
- https://mashable.com/article/eu-cars-speed-limiter-breathalyzer/#9AcBqFuFlPq8
- http://fortune.com/2019/03/27/speed-limiters-breathalyzers-eu-cars/
- https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/27/tech/europe-speed-limits-scli/index.html
