Survey Reveals Most US Drivers Favor Anti-Speeding Technology In Vehicles

A recent survey conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has revealed that over 60% of drivers in the United States would accept their vehicles providing audible and visual warnings when they exceed the posted speed limit. The survey, which included 1,802 drivers, aimed to gauge their opinions on intelligent speed assistance systems (ISA).

IIHS senior research scientist Ian Reagan emphasized the potential of current technologies to virtually eliminate speeding and speeding tickets. However, he noted that the trend seems to be moving in the opposite direction, with adaptive cruise control and partial automation systems allowing drivers to set their speed as high as 90 mph.

Over-speeding consistently contributes to more than a quarter of U.S. traffic fatalities, amounting to over 12,000 deaths in 2022 alone. Despite this, about half of the drivers admitted to driving at least 15 mph over the limit in the past month, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

The European Union is set to require all new vehicles to be equipped with ISA systems starting next month. These in-vehicle technologies use speed sign-recognition video cameras and/or GPS-linked speed limit data to inform drivers of the current speed limit and alert them if they are exceeding it.

The IIHS survey found that more than 80% of drivers would want a feature displaying the current speed limit, and over 70% agreed that they would appreciate an unobtrusive tone sounding when the speed limit changes. Approximately half of the respondents said they would not object to a vehicle technology that makes the accelerator pedal harder to press or automatically restricts speed.

As the debate surrounding the implementation of anti-speeding technology in vehicles continues, the IIHS survey provides valuable insights into the opinions of U.S. drivers on this important issue.