Sat Sep 28 23:26:24 UTC 2024: ## California Governor Vetoes Bill Requiring Speeding Alerts in New Cars
**SACRAMENTO, Calif.** – Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that would have mandated all new cars sold in California to be equipped with systems that alert drivers when they exceed the speed limit. The legislation, aimed at curbing traffic fatalities, was met with opposition from automotive groups and the state Chamber of Commerce, who argued that such regulations should be decided at the federal level.
The bill, which would have taken effect in 2030, required new cars, trucks, and buses to emit an audible and visual alert when exceeding the speed limit by 10 mph or more. The technology, known as intelligent speed assistance, uses GPS to compare a vehicle’s speed with posted limits.
Newsom’s veto cited the ongoing federal assessments of similar safety systems and the potential for conflicting regulations. “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is also actively evaluating intelligent speed assistance systems, and imposing state-level mandates at this time risks disrupting these ongoing federal assessments,” the governor stated.
Despite the veto, the European Union has already mandated intelligent speed assistance in all new cars starting this July, with a provision for drivers to disable the system. Several major automakers, including Ford, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Nissan, have already offered speed limiters in some models sold in the United States.
The legislation’s proponents, including Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener, argued that California should take a proactive approach to traffic safety. “California should have led on this crisis as Wisconsin did in passing the first seatbelt mandate in 1961,” Wiener said. “Instead, this veto resigns Californians to a completely unnecessary risk of fatality.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has also called for federal regulations requiring speeding alerts in all new cars, highlighting the issue of speeding as a major contributor to traffic fatalities. In 2021, speeding was a factor in 10% of all car crashes reported to police, with California experiencing a particularly high rate of speeding-related fatalities at 35%.
The veto represents a setback for those advocating for the technology as a means to improve road safety. However, the ongoing federal evaluation of intelligent speed assistance systems suggests that the debate over its implementation is far from over.
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