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California has the potential to transform the automotive market, having pioneered emissions standards and spearheaded the current movement towards electric vehicles (EVs). However, when it comes to implementing straightforward measures to combat speeding, the state’s governor claims it may be too intricate. Governor Gavin Newsom recently vetoed a bill that aimed to establish a speeding alert system for vehicles.
On Saturday, Governor Newsom rejected California’s speeding alert bill, SB-961, after it had passed the state senate earlier this month, as reported by the Associated Press. This legislation would have mandated new vehicles to emit a brief audiovisual warning when they exceeded the posted speed limit by 10 mph, starting in 2030. Cars would utilize a database of known speed limits collected by the state to determine when to issue the alert. There would have been exceptions for emergency vehicles, motorcycles, and scooters, marking a step toward addressing California’s alarming rate of speeding-related fatalities—not to mention the privilege speeders already enjoy in the state.
Newsom explained his veto by stating that it would introduce unnecessary complications to the regulatory framework governing state-specific safety technology laws.
“Federal law, as enforced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), already governs vehicle safety standards,” Newsom stated in a veto message. “Adding requirements unique to California would create a fragmented set of regulations, undermining this established federal system. Moreover, the NHTSA is currently assessing intelligent speed assistance systems, and imposing state mandates at this juncture risks interfering with these federal evaluations.”
The governor’s reasoning suggests that the regulation of safety standards is primarily the federal government’s responsibility (though states can impose stricter standards). However, this stance appears ironic coming from a state that has consistently enforced its own emissions standards for years, while now resisting the opportunity to tighten speeding regulations.
Just last year, the National Transportation Safety Board advocated for federally mandated speeding alerts—similar to the alerts California chose not to adopt. Such alerts are already included in European regulations, with a requirement for new vehicles to implement them starting next summer. Although California may believe these standards are forthcoming, its reluctance to act now seems paradoxically like an avoidance of responsibility.
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