California is close to passing a law requiring all new vehicles sold in the state to feature a “brief, one-time” audiovisual warning every time the driver exceeds the posted speed limit by 10 mph.
Senate Bill 961 introduced by Senator Scott Wiener has already passed the state senate and for the final step to becoming a law requires a signature from Governor Gavin Newsom. As The Drive notes, the legislature will have 60 days to try and override any move by Newsom to knock back the bill, should he veto it.
Should the bill pass, all new vehicles sold or leased in the state, starting from the 2030 model year, would require the warning system. There would be exemptions for some trucks and motorcycles, however. Emergency vehicles would also be exempt.
To determine the speed limit, the system would rely on GPS information and a forward facing camera able to read speed limit signs.
Anyone who has driven a car with a traffic sign recognition system will know that it can present incorrect information on speed limits. To help alleviate the issue, the bill would require the system to apply the highest speed limit should there be conflicting speed limits for the same area.
Although some drivers may find the system as described in the bill helpful, it is easy to see it evolving into something more draconian. A harsher version of the system for example could limit the vehicle's speed, something that has already been proposed by lawmakers in New York.
The system could also pass information about a speeding vehicle onto authorities or insurance companies. Ford has already patented a system that could detect if another vehicle is speeding and pass information about the vehicle to local police.
