One of the many Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) features available on new cars is ‘traffic sign recognition’ – a feature that detects road sign speed limit information, processes what it sees, and relates that information to the driver. It may be paired with an Intelligent Speed Assistance system that reduces the vehicle’s speed in response to that information.

It’s a clever safety feature, but Ford in Europe is trialling a technology that goes a step further. Called the Geofencing Speed Limit Control system, and utilising such technology as GPS tracking, it recognises the speed limit within a virtual geographical boundary (no need for speed signs) and can automatically slow a vehicle when it enters that location.

A 12-month trial of the Geofencing system is to take place in Cologne in Germany and will extend to all 30km/h zones in the centre of the city, as well as in selected 50 km/h and 30 km/h zones elsewhere in the city.

The trial will use Ford’s all-electric E-Transit van and the company says the system will send relevant speed information to the driver via the dashboard display cluster, with the new speed limit flashing below the current speed. While the vehicle will automatically reduce its speed in line with the geofenced zone, the driver can override the system and deactivate the speed limit control at any time should they wish to do so.

Ford says that in the future, the Geofencing Speed Limit Control system could enable drivers to set their own geofencing zones at speeds as low as 20 km/h, including at depots and private facilities. Speed limits could also be set dynamically, to take into account local hazards, temporary road works and the time of day.

VIDEO: FORD TRIALS GEOFENCING SPEED LIMIT CONTROL SYSTEM

Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (June 2022) 

17 June 2022