A new bill in California would force automakers to fit specific vehicles sold or manufactured in The Golden State with speed-limiting technology.
Senator Scott Wiener introduced SB 961 to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries throughout the state. Per the bill, “every passenger vehicle, motortruck, and bus manufactured or sold in the state” would have to be equipped with a speed limiter. Should the bill be passed, the tech would be fitted from MY2027 onwards.
This would not pertain to emergency response vehicles, as they often must exceed the speed limit in urgent situations. In exceptional circumstances, the speed limiter could be turned off in non-emergency cars, providing the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol authorizes the exemption.
So how would it work? According to the bill, the system would “electronically limit the speed of the vehicle to prevent the driver from exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour.”
