Since mid-2022, new passenger cars must warn drivers if they are speeding. But what does the EU’s Intelligent Speed Assistance Regulation (ISA) actually mean for the navigation industry, and how can NDS.Live support? It’s worth taking a closer look at the challenges and options.
Quick ISA overview
Intelligent Speed Assistance is a safety technology aimed at reducing road accidents and fatalities by helping drivers adhere to speed limits. The regulation requires all new vehicles in the EU to be equipped with ISA systems as part of the broader effort to improve road safety.
Here’s how ISA typically works:
Speed Limit Recognition: ISA systems use cameras and/or GPS data to recognize and read road signs or speed limits from digital maps.
Speed Limit Adherence: Once the system identifies the current speed limit, it alerts the driver if they exceed it. This alert can be in the form of visual, auditory, or haptic feedback.
Speed Control: In some implementations, ISA can actively intervene by limiting the engine’s power or applying the brakes to prevent the vehicle from exceeding the speed limit.
The European Commission’s Transport Council has set up a Road Safety group that defined the goal “Vision Zero” which aims to reduce road deaths to almost zero by 2050. As part of a General Safety Regulation, Intelligent Speed Assistance is defined as a mandatory in-vehicle system to support drivers with complying with the speed limits on any European road. ISA could cut collisions by 30 percent and deaths by 20 percent.
The first stage of the European ISA roll-out was in July 2022 for all new vehicle types. The second stage will launch in July 2024. Then all newly registered vehicles within the EU must include ISA as a standard line fit. In addition to the EU countries, Norway, Switzerland, and the UK will likely make the ISA regulation a country law as well.
The new ISA regulation poses numerous challenges for the automotive and navigation industries. NDS.Live offers support. Source: Pexels
ISA Challenges for the Navigation Industry
The implementation of the EU’s Intelligent Speed Assistance regulation brings several challenges to the navigation industry, including the need for accurate data, user-friendly interfaces, legal compliance, data privacy, and cross-border compatibility.
These aspects must be considered:
Accuracy of Speed Limit Data: ISA relies on accurate and up-to-date speed limit data. Therefore, navigation companies and map providers must continuously update their databases to ensure that drivers receive correct information. This requires ongoing collaboration with local authorities to keep speed limit data accurate and comprehensive.
User Experience: The successful implementation of ISA depends on drivers trusting and using the system. If ISA systems provide frequent false alerts or if drivers find them intrusive, they may disable or ignore the system, defeating its purpose. Navigation companies need to design user-friendly interfaces and fine-tune alerting mechanisms to balance safety and user satisfaction.
Retrofitting Older Vehicles: While the regulation applies to new vehicles, there is likely to be demand for retrofitting older vehicles with ISA systems. Navigation companies may need to develop aftermarket solutions and collaborate with car manufacturers or third-party installers to meet this demand.
Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Navigation systems must ensure that their ISA implementations comply with EU regulations and safety standards. This may involve continuous monitoring and adaptation to evolving regulations.
Data Privacy and Security: ISA systems rely on data from various sources, including cameras and GPS. Ensuring the privacy and security of this data is a significant challenge, especially considering the strict data protection regulations in the EU, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Cross-Border Compatibility: Vehicles equipped with ISA may travel across different EU member states with varying speed limits and regulations. Navigation systems must be capable of handling these differences seamlessly to provide accurate speed limit information and assist drivers appropriately.
Reliable maps are essential: ISA systems do not work well enough if they rely only on camera systems that detect posted speeds. Map data offers real value in this context as a source of speed limits when signs are not present, or as a reference and “second sensor” to validate speed limits detected by cameras.
NDS.Live supports ISA requirements
Since the NDS map data standard was first introduced, technology has evolved tremendously. Map data needs to be much more detailed and precise to support automated and autonomous driving functions. In the future more and more cars will be equipped with data connectivity so map data can be stored and processed in the cloud. Even now new use cases for map data are appearing everywhere.
With NDS.Live, the specification now supports these new requirements and use cases and thus combines the best of experience with today’s realities and tomorrow’s new possibilities. Users benefit from cost advantages because there is no need for large storage hardware in the vehicle and downloading large update regions. With NDS.Live and a smart virtual home zone, the vehicle only downloads the data it really needs, hence reducing the data consumption significantly.
One NDS member that uses NDS.Live for its maps is HERE. HERE Technologies is one of the founding members of the NDS Association and actively involved in the organization.
