In the United States, speeding contributes to nearly one-third of all traffic fatalities, and these numbers have been increasing in recent years. Several states are considering the use of anti-speeding devices known as intelligent speed assistance (ISA) as a potential solution. However, in New York, progress on related legislation has been slow. Advocates are now urging the state’s Senate to address this issue before its session ends in June.
Recently, Virginia became the first state to permit judges to mandate the installation of GPS-powered devices on vehicles of those convicted of driving over 100 miles per hour, limiting their speed to no more than 10 miles per hour over the limit. This law follows a similar move by Washington, D.C., where a bill established an ISA program for drivers whose licenses had been suspended or revoked due to speeding.
The initiative to implement ISA in the U.S. gained momentum in New York. Last year, Senator Andrew Gounardes proposed the “Stop Super Speeders” bill, which would require drivers with 11 or more points in a certain period to install an ISA device to prevent them from exceeding the speed limit by more than 5 miles per hour. Multiple incidents, including a tragic crash that killed a mother and her two daughters, have intensified efforts to pass this legislation. Currently, the bill is under review by the Senate Transportation Committee. Recently, New York City advocates, including some city council members, gathered at City Hall to urge state legislators to act.
Elizabeth Adams, the deputy executive director for public affairs at Transportation Alternatives, emphasized the importance of passing the Stop Super Speeders Bill, describing it as essential legislation to curb reckless driving.
Other states, such as Georgia, are also considering anti-speeding laws, with Georgia’s bill awaiting the governor’s signature. In contrast, California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, vetoed similar legislation, citing ongoing federal evaluations of intelligent speed assistance systems.
Amy Cohen, leader of Families for Safe Streets, explained that while the proposed bills across different states vary, they all aim to ensure safe driving by limiting reckless behavior, not by confiscating vehicles.
Various ISA systems are available, ranging from those that alert the driver when speeding to those that can prevent acceleration altogether. In 2013, following a Nevada crash resulting in nine fatalities, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) require at least an alert system. It suggested car manufacturers should incorporate these systems into new vehicles, a practice already mandated in the European Union.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy highlighted the importance of redundancy in safety systems to mitigate human error, stressing the need for a collective commitment to implementing these safety measures.
