California Governor Gavin Newsom on Saturday vetoed a bill this would require all new vehicles sold in the state to feature a brief audiovisual warning whenever the driver exceeds the posted speed limit by 10 mph.
Newsom’s reasoning for rejecting the bill was concern that a patchwork of vehicle safety regulations would be created if California had its own rules separate from those set at the federal level, especially since the National Highway Traffic Safety already is evaluating the introduction of intelligent anti-speeding measuresthe Associated press reported.
If the bill passes, all new vehicles sold or leased in California would require the warning system, with exceptions for some trucks and motorcycles. Emergency vehicles would also be exempt.
The account, Senate Bill 961 introduced by Senator Scott Wienerintended for the warning system to be introduced in the 2030 model year. The proposed system would rely on GPS information and a front-facing camera capable of reading published speed limits, to determine the current speed limit.
A similar rule has already been introduced in the European Union, where car manufacturers have the option of installing an acoustic warning, a steering wheel vibration warning, an accelerator pedal that requires more force, or an actual speed limiting feature.
A feature that limits a vehicle’s speed based on the published speed limit was previously proposed by legislators in both California and new Yorkalthough it didn’t gain much traction in either state.
While some drivers may find these systems useful, it’s easy to see them evolving into something more draconian, especially if they are set up to transmit information about a speeding vehicle to authorities or insurance companies.
