Tampering with speed limiters could lead to ‘serious consequences’ for UK drivers

Drivers in the UK could face ‘serious consequences’ if they tamper with new vehicle speed limiters – according to a leading car parts distributor.

As of July 7 this year, all new vehicles in the EU have to come fitted with Intelligent Speed Assist. The system reads every road sign and then displays the speed limit on the dashboard for the driver to obey. However, if the speed limit is exceeded a warning chime will sound to slow down the driver.

GSF Car Parts has revealed if drivers modify their vehicles to remove or bypass the limiter, they could find themselves impacting their insurance with companies not paying in the event of an incident. Manufacturer warranties could be voided, too.

Furthermore, by fiddling with speed limiters, it could lead to further risks of damaging the vehicle’s ECU or engine management system which could lead to greater problems further down the line with the vehicle’s reliability and safety.

As the UK is not part of the EU, the rules do not comply with British standards. However, vehicle manufacturers will still fit Intelligent Speed Assist to UK specified vehicles due to improving road safety and it will be more cost effective for the manufacturer, too. Meanwhile, tampering with the system could still lead to further risks of ECU and engine management damage.

Steve Horne, CEO of GSF Car Parts, said: “It is clear that drivers could face severe consequences for trying to remove this technology, from insurance issues to even legal action. Whether motorists decide to modify or not, we always urge drivers to drive safely and stick to the limit to keep themselves and others on the road safe.”