California is poised to establish a groundbreaking automotive regulation. If Governor Gavin Newsom approves Senate Bill 961 by the end of September, a significant number of new vehicles sold or leased in the Golden State from 2030 onwards will be required to feature a driver alert to discourage speeding. This system will consist of a “brief, one-time” audio and visual warning, similar to the seat belt chime that is already present in most cars.
SB-961 made its debut earlier this year and has since undergone several amendments and discussions. Recently, it successfully passed through the state’s senate with 26 votes in favor and 9 opposed. Now, it awaits further consideration on the assembly floor, where it garnered support from 47 members and faced opposition from 17. The next step is for the governor to either sign it into law or veto it. In the event of a veto, the legislature will have a 60-day window to attempt an override, should they choose to do so.
California’s potential mandate is summarized as follows:
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“… commencing with the 2030 model year, every passenger vehicle, motortruck, and bus manufactured, sold as new, or leased as new in the state to be equipped with a passive intelligent speed assistance system, as specified, that would utilize a brief, one-time, visual and audio signal to alert the driver each time the speed of the vehicle is more than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit.”
The definition of a “passive intelligent speed assistance system” is as follows:
“… an integrated vehicle system that determines the speed limit of the roadway that the vehicle is traveling on, and utilizes a brief, one-time visual and audio signal to alert the driver each time they exceed the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour.”
Certain vehicles, such as motorcycles and large trucks, would be excluded from this regulation. It is also worth noting that vehicles lacking a front-facing camera or GPS would be exempt as well. Essentially, this legislation would not impose the burden of costly new hardware on lower-spec cars.
Discussions about speed restrictors or active measures that limit gas pedal travel have been circulating, but they are not being considered in this case. Implementing this measure is unlikely to pose a significant engineering burden on automakers. The actual annoyance level of the alert will depend on how car companies design it, although the fact that it is described as a one-time signal rather than a constant, repeating one like seat belt warnings is a relief. Interestingly, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducted a survey a few months ago, which revealed that many drivers were not as strongly opposed to this idea as driving enthusiasts might anticipate.
