A controversial California bill wants to place technology devices in new cars that will limit them from driving 10 mph over the speed limit. If passed, bill SB961 will begin in 2027. Emergency vehicles such as police cars, ambulances, fire trucks, and other vehicles, will not be a part of this bill. The bill would also allow manufacturers and owners to request that their speed limit system be disabled if they get written permission from the commissioner of the California Highway Patrol’s office.
Europe has passed a similar law that will begin this summer. In their system, if you push the gas pedal down harder, then it will override the system.
According to a bill proposed by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), the item will be called the “intelligent speed limiter system”. It will use GPS to judge the legal speed limit. This will be in the city and on the freeway.
Speeding kills thousands a year and many states are seeing a rise in speeding-related accidents, especially California.
A study done by Berkeley Safetrec shows that in 2021 35% of driving fatalities were speed-related and nationwide it was 29%. The study shows that from 2017-21, speed-related deaths increased a whopping 30% in California and 23% nationally.