California is on the verge of enacting a law that would require all newly sold vehicles in the state to feature a “brief, one-time” audiovisual warning whenever the driver exceeds the posted speed limit by 10 mph.
Senate Bill 961, introduced by Senator Scott Wiener, has already cleared the state senate and now awaits a signature from Governor Gavin Newsom to become law. As noted by The Drive, the legislature will have 60 days to override any veto by Newsom.
Should the bill pass, all new vehicles sold or leased in the state, starting from the 2030 model year, would need to have this warning system. Some trucks and motorcycles will be exempt, as well as emergency vehicles.
To determine the speed limit, the system will rely on GPS data and a forward-facing camera that can read speed limit signs.
Anyone who has driven a vehicle equipped with a traffic sign recognition system knows that it can sometimes provide incorrect speed limit information. To mitigate this issue, the bill would require the system to apply the highest speed limit in cases where conflicting limits exist for the same area.
While some drivers may find the proposed system helpful, it's easy to imagine it evolving into something more draconian. For example, a stricter version of the system could limit the vehicle's speed, a measure that has already been proposed by lawmakers in New York.
The system could also relay information about speeding vehicles to authorities or insurance companies. Ford has already patented a system that detects if another vehicle is speeding and transmits that information to local police.
Senior Writer The quest for automotive knowledge began as soon as the earliest memories. Various sources information, even questionable ones, have been explored including video games, television, magazines, or even internet forums. Still stuck in that rabbit hole.
