California Senator Scott Wiener is used to pushback when he proposes laws aimed at reining in reckless drivers and improving road safety in his car-dependent state. But even he was caught off guard when, earlier this year, he introduced a new bill requiring a speed \u201cgovernor\u201d on all new cars sold in the state. The opposition from drivers was so fierce that he had to rewrite the proposal to only require weaker versions of the technology.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cThere were people who loved it, people who hated it, people who were mad at me, spouses who were arguing with each other about it,\u201d Wiener said in an interview. \u201cIt was an interesting situation. There\u2019s a certain cultural embrace of being able to drive your car however you want to drive your car.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Speeding is part of our cultural identity. Automakers frequently advertise new cars tearing through empty cities or weaving through traffic well above safe speeds. Movies and television shows frequently push these boundaries further. And social media<\/a> further glorifies lawbreaking by providing a platform for speedsters. It all perpetuates the idea that speeding is not only safe but an American right.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a certain cultural embrace of being able to drive your car however you want to drive your car.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Yet speeding is one of the most deadly things you can do in a vehicle.\u00a0In 2023, more than 40,000 people died in traffic accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data<\/a> released in April of this year. That\u2019s down about 36 percent from 2022, when crashes accounted for nearly 43,000 deaths. The previous year was even worse, with speeding fatalities reaching a 14-year high.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n A study from 2020<\/a>, showed that at speeds above 42mph, there\u2019s a much higher incidence of serious injury and a higher risk of death for vehicle occupants. According to 2021 crash test data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety<\/a>, at 56mph and above, the driver\u2019s compartment in most modern vehicles showed significant damage, and crash test dummies registered severe injuries to the neck and lower legs.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cDriver\u2019s behavior is the overwhelming cause of traffic crashes,\u201d Jonathan Adkins, CEO of the Governors Highway Safety Association.\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re driving too fast or drinking, we\u2019re not wearing our seatbelt. We\u2019re distracted by our cell phones. It\u2019s all those behaviors that lead to the vast majority of crashes.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Salvation could come from technology like intelligent speed assistance (ISA) systems, but there\u2019s a lot of nuance. These systems use cameras, radar, and lidar in conjunction with GPS data to detect both the speed of your vehicle and \u201cread\u201d the speed limit signs on the road.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In most modern vehicles, these systems are \u201cpassive\u201d in that they don\u2019t physically slow a speeding vehicle. A notification may pop up if you\u2019re going more than a few miles per hour over the speed limit, but it won\u2019t physically limit your ability to speed.\u00a0Active ISA systems will physically slow your vehicle to keep you at the speed limit. Some use tactile responses, like pushing the accelerator back into your foot, while others actively limit the engine power to keep you at the speed limit. These active systems can be turned on and off by the driver.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cDriver\u2019s behavior is the overwhelming cause of traffic crashes.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The EU has been at the forefront of ISA, and as of July of this year<\/a>, all new vehicles will be required to have the passive form of this technology. The US is well behind Europe\u2019s regulations, but many are trying to change that. NHTSA has been working on studies and proposals for some form of ISA mandate, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has a proposal out<\/a> for limiters on commercial vehicles. Local officials in California<\/a> and New York<\/a>\u00a0have proposed laws to require passive ISA systems in all new cars.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n While conflicts around speed limiters are not new, they have certainly become more deeply ingrained, thanks in part to the covid-19 pandemic and political division. According to Adkins, speeding got worse when everyone was forced to stay home. \u201cThe people that were out, were speeding, they were way more aggressive because they knew they had the space, and they knew they could get away with it,\u201d he said. \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n