Firm takes the fast lane to success with road safety tool

Oct 8 2009 by Chris Knox, The Journal

A COUNTY Durham firm is looking to help make the nation’s roads safer after developing technology that prevents cars from breaking the speed limit.

Newton Aycliffe-based Enablecom is launching The Speed Conscience, which it has designed for use in mobile phones to warn drivers when they are speeding, and the company is also putting the finishing touches to a black box that keeps vehicles to the right speed limit wherever they are on the UK’s road network.

The technology is the brainchild of Enablecom partner Gary Martin, who had the idea while driving in his car with his wife.

He now expects the idea to command a £4.5m turnover within five years from subscriptions, and to double his six-strong workforce.

The firm, which has more than 20 years’ experience in business application software, estimates 150,000 downloads of the software over the next five years – approximately 0.5% of all drivers.

The technology – known as Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) – uses satellite global positioning and digital road mapping to detect local speed limits and has been trialled by Transport for London on all roads inside the M25.

The black box, which is expected to hit the market by next year as the Intelligent Speed Limiter, will include an override for drivers that want to speed up to avoid an accident, which kicks in when the accelerator is pressed down sharply.