Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a piece of California legislation. The bill would have required all new cars in the state to feature a system designed to alert drivers when they exceed the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour.
Speeding is a significant contributor to traffic fatalities. According to reports, it plays a role in almost one-third of such incidents across the United States. Proponents of the bill hoped to reduce roadway deaths by mandating the technology, positioning California as the first state to implement such a requirement.
California has a history of setting vehicle standards, especially concerning emissions, that have influenced automakers nationwide. Supporters of the speed sensor law believed that the state’s mandate could similarly drive changes beyond California’s borders.
Intelligent speed assistance systems have been widely in use in Europe and have been mandatory there for years for new vehicles. The systems resemble other driver assistance technologies, like those that alert drivers to blind spots or lane drifting.
Jennifer Homendy, the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, noted that research in Europe has indicated speed-warning systems can reduce average driving speed, speed variability, and the time drivers spend exceeding speed limits. The NTSB has urged the federal government to mandate this technology in the U.S.
The California bill proposed that, starting with the 2030 model year, all new passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses in the state would be required to include technology that provides both visual and audio warnings when the posted speed limit is surpassed. Rescue vehicles and motorcycles were to be exempt, as were vehicles without GPS or a front-facing camera.
