Ford's New S-Max SAV Slows down Automatically When It Sees a Speed Limit Sign

Ford has announced that the new S-Max model of the sport activity vehicle, which comes out August in Europe, will have a new feature that can see what the speed limit is and automatically slows down for it, allowing the driver to keep his focus on the road ahead.

Called the 'Intelligent Speed Limiter,' the new feature combines two new automotive technologies that are already in place in Ford's previous models: the 'adjustable speed limiter' and 'traffic sign recognition.' The adjustable speed limiter controls the car's velocity by adjusting the amount of fuel being pushed to the engine once the desired speed limit is reached. Traffic sign recognition uses an on-board computer with cameras and sensors to identify road signs, including those that says what the current speed limit is.

To be introduced on its new S-Max model, the Intelligent Speed Limiter system uses a windscreen-mounted camera to monitor for road signs displaying the speed limit. When it enters, say a 20mph zone, the system automatically slowly reduces the top speed to match the speed limit. Once it has passed into a higher speed zone, the car will allow the driver to accelerate, but only up to the extent allowed by the new speed limit. Information detected by the system from roadside signs will be displayed to the driver on a panel in the car's speedometer. In emergency situations where a burst of speed is required, users can either deactivate the system by pressing a button on the console or temporarily get past it with a hard press on the gas pedal. If the vehicle is coasting downhill and starts to build up speed, the car will sense its motion and sound an alarm to get the driver to put on the brakes.

Stefan Kappes, active safety supervisor, Ford of Europe, told the BT news site: "Drivers are not always conscious of speeding and sometimes only becoming aware they were going too fast when they receive a fine in the mail or are pulled over by law enforcement. Intelligent Speed Limiter can remove one of the stresses of driving, helping ensure customers remain within the legal speed limit."