What is an ESL ?
To abbreviate the content in this website 'electronic speed limiter' is often substituted for "ESL".
An ESL is not a tangible mechanical device, but is merely the computer chip activated software embedded within the (modern) vehicles' engine management system. This consequently provides a top-speed-limiting function - a fully effective function that some authorities intriguingly seem reluctant to recognise at this stage, let alone actually use.
Virtually every late model vehicle that has electronic fuel injection (EFI) will have an embedded ESL function in the engine computer. This function - which doubles as a 'rev-limiter' - can be re-calibrated to activate at whatever top-speed authorities deemed to be excessively dangerous to exceed; that is, if they wanted to implement such an initiative to save lives and prevent serious injuries.
What is ISA then?...
Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) is the version of ESL that can be made to function in many differing speed ZONES - instead of just activating on top-speed alone. However, ISA requires a considerable amount of additional radio-telemetry type infrastructure for it to work, whereas ESL top-speed limiting is already installed in the vehicle/s - and only requires the "stroke of a pen" from regulating authorities . . . for it to become effective.
This 'effectiveness' could then apply at whatever top speed might be determined socially responsible to prevent innocent people, such as Aaron Keown's late mother, from being killed by cars travelling at excessive velocity. Read Also: Our Article; Was John Key A Boy-racer.
An interesting quote... from the European Transport Safety Council, in 2006...
"There is no single vehicle technology remaining to be implemented - neither on the market nor in development - that offers the same safety potential as ISA".
That statement was put out in an ETSC information/newsletter in 2006.
As mentioned throughout this website, it is important for readers to understand that in addition to the recently vaunted 'ISA' (intelligent speed adaption) there is - in fact has been since 1992 and earlier - a much simpler and cost effective method available except that it only works on/activates on the TOP speed of the vehicle. re: Other Speed Limiter Info On Internet.
...The question to ask; for those who have lost a loved-one (through a crash where one or more of the vehicles was travelling at excessive and completely unnecessary speed) is;Why are these otherwise responsible and integrity based organisations such as the ETSC, or the American 'Institute For High-way Safety'(Inc) evidently not recognising the simple remedy available for reducing the trauma caused by the really excessive speeds??
It almost appears that perhaps they are so indicted by their perpetuated ignorance of the cost effectiveness of ESL activated Top Speed regulation, that they have become deliberately bogged down within the complexities and convolution of the (extremely) expensive ISA type systems. That is to surmise that they may be using ISA and it's complexity as a "smoke-screen type" excuse to stonewalling on the whole remedy.
Though the advantage of ISA being that it has the potential to control speeds in virtually ALL known speed zones . . . there is a question as to how reliable will such infrastructure be? - and at what financial cost to the end consumer?
In the meantime surely a very inexpensive remedy, that only needs to be activated in the vehicle, ought to be used to reduce the deaths caused by stupidly high speeds.
This article being posted in 2013- yet in 2018 we still have innocent 12year olds being killed as a result of a completley anacronistic folk-lore thinking that ought be visited throught the courts as a strait forward Health & Safety matter! see: 12 year old passenger killed...
... further content/information pending ...