It seems the EU has other plans for the same objective. In-car technology will be able to detect maximum speed signs and work in conjunction with onboard GPS software to prevent speeding. They have given the green light on this notion for 2022, but there appears to me to be a long way to go regarding deciding how to implement the measure.
"What is the speed limit here?" is one of the most common questions asked of driving instructors on driving lessons. It is a skill to identify maximum speed limit signs in the first place, but a more challenging skill to assess what is the appropriate speed for the driving conditions.
I often refer to this problem in driving as 'painting by numbers'. I will wait to be told what the speed limit is here and then drive at that speed — not a good strategy for safe driving. Driving is effortful. Along with effective observations, calculating the appropriate speed for the conditions is an invisible skill that learners often overlook. There are others, such as transitioning between different types of driving, eg coming off a dual-carriageway into a residential area. Making connections between what is around the vehicle and how that impacts on what you need to do shortly is an invisible skill ('awareness and planning' on the driving test sheet). Accurately reading a country road bend to maximise traction and stability of the vehicle while maintaining efficiency is an invisible skill ('limit points' see page 172 of 'Roadcraft').
There are many of these invisible skills which your average learner will not realise some drivers possess and apply. We often do not know what we don't know which is why we often underestimate the process of learning. This point, however, does make for an exciting life. Could you imagine how dull life would be if all activities that are available for us to learn out there were entirely predictable? This is why I have great respect for older pupils. They will be aware of this fact having been on the planet for several decades; and yet they are brave enough to still push the boundaries for self-improvement. I saw a perfect example of this last year while my boys were water skiing. This elderly chap (perhaps 5-10 years older than me), was practising on the water. His courage was particularly apparent because it was just him out there on the water, making mistakes, and he was being watched by many spectators, AND with water skiing, a mistake often results in a fall and a timely re-set to get back up on the skis. With many driving faults (but not all), a mistake does not involve a lengthy reset. I made a point of speaking to this chap when he eventually got out the water. He did not need my encouragement of course, as he had already shown his character, but I'm a big believer in giving praise to anyone when it is rightly due.
While it is not yet clear how the EU intends to put their new directive into practice, I do fear for the unconscious message that it gives drivers. It is this problem I mentioned in my ebook "Reflections of a driving instructor", entirely driverless vehicles is an altogether different prospect to the phases we will go through before arriving at that status.
Some drivers will interpret the maximum speed limit as just the default speed to drive at because once there, the onboard camera and GPS software then kicks in and keeps things safe. No, it won't. All it will do is prevent the driver from continuing to apply gas to exceed the maximum speed limit. But some, dare I say many, will not see it like that. Even now, many pupils consider a maximum speed limit as an instruction, to which they have to obey. They see national speed limit signs, work out what that is for the road they are on and the vehicle they are driving, and then set to in blindly accelerating to that speed. This won't win me friends I'm sure, but it is driving with indolence. It takes the thinking effort out of the activity.
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