Staff Reports
The California senate recently approved a measure that would require all new cars sold or made in the state to have a beeping alert and visual notification when drivers exceed the speed limit. This technology, known as passive Intelligent Speed Assistance, will notify drivers if they go over the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour.
Cars must be built to beep at drivers speeding greater than 10 miles per hour in California under a new bill https://t.co/r4y1npdjZK
— Ben Owen (@hrkbenowen) May 22, 2024
The bill’s author, state Sen. Scott Wiener, believes that this measure will help people to slow down, as some may not be aware of how fast their vehicles are going. He also cited research that shows the positive impact of such technology in reducing speeding-related incidents.
According to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 10% of car crashes in 2021 were due to speeding. In California, 35% of traffic fatalities were linked to speeding, which is the second highest in the country. Wiener emphasized that these tragedies are avoidable and attributed them to policy choices that tolerate unsafe roads, asserting that implementing safety measures can save lives.
While this would be the first of its kind in the United States, many European countries have been using this technology for years. Additionally, the European Union will soon mandate all new cars to have this feature, albeit with the option for drivers to disable it.
If the bill becomes law, it could have significant implications for car sales nationwide, as California’s auto market is sizable, and manufacturers may need to ensure compliance with the measure.
