Have you ever been driving along comfortably only to glance at your speedometer to find you’re substantially over the speed limit? You’re not alone. Speeding is a serious issue across the nation with the risk of death increasing dramatically when speeding is involved. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 42,514 driving fatalities in the United States in 2022.
Increased speed during a traffic collision greatly impacts the incidence of serious injury or death. According to National Safety Council, speed was a factor in 29% of fatal car accident in 2022. The risk to pedestrians is also great. Studies show a pedestrian struck by a car traveling 39 miles per hour has 75% chance of severe injury. In 2022, there were more than 1,200 pedestrians killed in California. With this in mind, at least one state, California, has recently taken action to potentially curb their numbers.
In January California Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) introduced Senate Bill 961. The bill calls for the requirement of passive speed limiters in all new passenger vehicles, trucks and buses manufactured or sold in California by 2032. It takes a phased-in approach with the same requirement for 50 percent of such vehicles manufactured or sold in California by 2029. Emergency vehicles are exempt from the proposed law. Violating the requirements would constitute a crime under California law, and a state-mandated local program would be imposed.
According to a 2023 report from California’s Office of Traffic Safety, one-third of California’s traffic fatalities during the five-year period from 2017 to 2022 involved a speed factor. For Senator Wiener and the bill’s supporters, SB 961 could substantially improve safety on the state’s roads and highways and, hopefully, save lives.
In May, the Senate passed the bill in a 22 to 13 vote. It has now moved on to the Assembly where to become law, it needs to pass by August 31. If it does, California will be the first state in the nation to require passive speed limiter technology. The bill draws from and follows on the heels of European Union legislation which began requiring passive speed limiters in all vehicles sold there in July.
What are Passive Speed Limiters?
Passive speed limiters, known also as passive speed governors or passive intelligent speed assistance systems (ISAs), utilize GPS technology in conjunction with posted speed limit data to alert a driver both audibly (typically a beep) and visually (dashboard indicators) if they are exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour. Passive speed limiters may also include other cues such as vibrations to the steering wheel.
The California bill requires a one-time audio and visual signal each time the driver exceeds the posted speed limit by 10 miles per hour. If GPS data finds more than one speed limit in a given area, the higher speed limit would apply.
Passive speed limiters are not fool proof, however. Unlike active speed limiters which take control of the vehicle from the driver if they are fast approaching or exceeding the speed limit, passive speed limiters rely on the driver to respond properly to the alerts. A driver may still choose to ignore them.
Will the Bill Become Law?
That answer is yet to be determined. However, a federal requirement for passive ISAs has the firm backing of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. As well, SB 961 had the support of not only the NTSB but also the American Academy of Pediatrics and AAA among other prominent organizations.
In addition, should the bill become law, it is unlikely that the legislation would stop at California’s borders. Vehicles are not manufactured for one state only, so it only makes sense that more states, if not all, will follow suit.
