Cars will vibrate, sound an audible warning or slow down if drivers are speeding under new mandatory safety technology which comes into effect this summer.

From July 6, new vehicles sold in the European Union and Northern Ireland will be fitted with intelligent speed assistance (ISA) to prevent accidents.

Although the UK has opted out, meaning it will not be a requirement on British roads, the technology will still be installed in most cars, and drivers can choose to switch it off on a daily basis, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, an independent research organisation, told the Sunday Times: “I think many motorists will tire of switching off ISA and they will just learn to live with it.”

Gooding said it would take autonomy away from drivers, with cars increasingly deciding what drivers can and can’t do, and said it was the beginning of the end of people choosing cars based on top speed.

When fitted, the technology will send a warning beep or the steering wheel will vibrate when drivers pass the speed limit. If the driver does not take action, the accelerator will ease up, reducing the speed to keep in line with the limit.

Manufacturers including Ford have been offering ISA as an option on new cars since 2015, and it has been mandatory on all new cars sold in Europe since 2022, but could be switched off.

The European Transport Safety Council said that while it took drivers a short time to adjust to the technology, the majority saw it as a positive step. It also helps drivers avoid speeding tickets.

Leeds University calculated that Britain could see up to 12 per cent reduction in injuries from road accidents, equating to thousands of people walking away from collisions unharmed or avoiding crashes altogether.