- EU law forces cars to beep when drivers exceed speed limits.
- Honda’s system is stricter and lacks easy muting options.
- Owners say alerts can’t be disabled on 2025 Civic models.
New cars come with a lot of great bells and whistles these days. They also come with a few things modern buyers might not be so stoked about. One recent example comes from Europe and the UK, where a law that went into effect last year has sparked growing frustration behind the wheel.
Simply going 1 or 2 mph above the legal speed limit in some places kicks off an audible alert. Honda owners say it’s especially annoying in their rides, but one has a workaround. The only issue is that it’s not exactly universal.
The Chime No One Asked For
The system in question is Intelligent Speed Assist, or ISA, an EU-mandated system that issues audio and visual alerts when drivers exceed posted speed limits. It’s been compulsory on all new European cars since July of 2024, and Honda’s interpretation appears to be the strictest. Evidently, it’s become even more strict since last year.
Read: Federal Agency Calls For Alcohol Detection And Speed Adaptation Systems On New Cars
A Civic owner in the UK, who recently picked up a facelifted 2025 model, posted on Reddit about their frustrating first experience. According to them, the constant alert tones made their hour-long drive home from the dealership feel twice as long.
The alerts reportedly trigger at just 1–2 mph over the limit, and unlike some rival brands, Honda doesn’t offer a simple button or steering-wheel shortcut to mute them. On top of that, disabling the feature can take different steps in different Hondas or not be readily available at all.
Also: Honda’s 2026 Civic Just Got Sharper In Europe, But You Might Not Notice At First
Owners of pre-facelift 2024 models report they can disable traffic sign recognition through the vehicle settings. Importantly, these drivers say that they must repeat the process for every single trip. That means that a quick stop for fuel or to pick up some takeaway or to drop off a kid somewhere requires going back through the menu and turning off the bongs again.
Facelifted 2025 models, however, appear to have lost that option entirely. That’s where our original poster on Reddit comes in. They happen to own one of these newer Civics, and their workaround is complex and, for now, only helpful to a subset of iPhone owners.
Put simply, disabling Honda’s navigation app shuts down traffic sign recognition and the bongs in the process. Of course, doing so also kills Android Auto and third-party navigation apps like WAZE. Notably, Apple CarPlay continues to function.
Unfortunately for anyone fed up with it, ISA doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon. To that end, drivers will have to continue finding workarounds if they plan on going over the speed limit with regularity.