New legislation introduced this week will put extra pressure on fleet drivers to ensure they keep within the limits to avoid costly fines.

Car manufacturers are increasingly introducing new technology to inform drivers of the limit and warn them if they exceed it.

Ford fits a system called Intelligent Speed Limiter to its Kuga, Edge, S-Max and Galaxy which scans the road ahead for traffic signs and adjusts the throttle to ensure drivers don’t fall foul of the limit.

Drivers can choose between speed limiting systems in the vehicle menu using the steering wheel controls, and activate them using the speed system controls. Maximum speed for Intelligent Speed Limiter can be set and then raised or lowered in 5 mph increments. Between 20-120 mph the technology utilises speed limit information from the Traffic Sign Recognition system. In vehicles equipped with onboard navigation, Intelligent Speed Limiter also uses map data for improved accuracy.

Breaking the speed limit can be costly – new legislation introduced this week will dramatically change the way speeding fines are calculated, with offending drivers facing penalties of up to 175% of their weekly wage.