Cobra speed limiter sales more than doubled in the second half of 2013 as fleet operators look to drive down fuel costs and take a proactive approach to duty of care.
The majority of the vehicles that the speed limiters are being fitted to are vans, but some operators are fitting limiters to their cars as well.
Andrew Smith, managing director of Cobra, said: “The association between speed reduction and reduced fuel use is obvious, but there have been a surprising number of companies who are turning to speed limiters for Duty of Care reasons.
“Speed limiters are being considered as a non-evasive way of keeping employees safe while they are driving on company business.
“We have had requests for towbar speed limiters and also for limiters just for urban use as companies come up with innovative ways to keep their drivers safe and legal.”
The recent announcement of grey ‘stealth cameras’ being introduced on major motorways such as the M1, M6 and M25 and the proposed enforcement of a 60mph limit on stretches of the M3 have been cited by companies in the South East as reasons to consider limiters.
The move by fleet operators to cap the speed of their vehicles comes amid record highs for fuel costs and recent Department of Transport figures showing that 3,000 motorists are killed or seriously injured a year in accidents where speed was a factor.
Fitting a speed limiter can help reduce fuel use, as demonstrated by an independent test by Cobra.
An LCV fitted with the limiter set at 56mph undertook a 260 mile trip which included a mix of semi-urban parkways, city roads and motorways and delivered a 37% uplift in fuel economy.
On the journey, the van returned an economy figure of 43.91 miles per gallon, far in excess of its official fuel economy figure of 36.2mpg.
Cobra’s range of speed limiters can be fitted to most cars, motorhomes and the majority of light commercials up to and including 3.5 tonnes.
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