SB 961, which was approved by the California Senate, mandates that “passive speed limiters” be fitted in all new cars produced or sold in the Golden State by the year 2032.
Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) proposed the motion, which would make California the first state in the union to implement the safety requirement. It is modeled after a legislation that will go into force in the European Union in July.
Drivers are “always in control and can easily override” the intelligent speed assistance technology according to the EU proposal.
Senator Wiener claims that over the years, deaths of drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists have increased in California and across the United States. This increase has been particularly sharp since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety’s 2023 Traffic Safety Report, which also found that fatal crashes involving alcohol and drug-impaired driving, motorcyclist fatalities, and teenage driver fatalities all increased from 2020 to 2021.
Senator Wiener stated in a statement that “these deaths are preventable, and they’re occurring because of policy choices to tolerate dangerous roads.” “The data is unequivocal: Californians are all in danger due to rising rates of reckless speeding, and by adopting sensible safety measures, we can prevent fatalities.”
SB 961 would mandate that “passive speed governors” be installed in all passenger cars, trucks, and buses produced or sold in California by 2032, with a 50% phase-in period by 2029.
According to Senator Wiener’s office, “passive speed governors, also known as passive Intelligent Speed Assistance, warn drivers with audible and visual signals when they exceed the speed limit by greater than ten miles per hour.”
The senator’s staff further stated that emergency vehicles are exempt from the bill’s speed governor requirement.
After passing the Senate on Tuesday by a vote of 22–13, SB 961 now heads to the State Assembly, where it needs to be approved by August 31.
