A California bill moving forward at the statehouse would require all cars and trucks sold in the state to include speed assistance technology. Another provision removed from the bill sought to mandate installation of side underride guards for trucks.
The Senate voted 22-13 to advance the revised bill that is touted to help reduce traffic deaths by requiring speed warnings.
‘Passive intelligent speed assistance’
Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, is behind the first-in-the-nation pursuit to mandate speed assistance technology.
The original version of his bill, SB961, included a requirement for every car, truck and bus manufactured and sold in the state to be equipped with speed governors. The devices limit vehicle speed based on the speed limit for the roadway segment.
Wiener cited an “alarming surge in road deaths” in the state for his pursuit. He highlighted a 2023 TRIP report that found traffic fatalities in California increased by 22% from 2019 to 2022. The figure compared to a 19% increase for the U.S. overall.
Additionally, the California Office of Traffic Safety’s 2023 Traffic Safety Report showed that one-third of all traffic fatalities in the state from 2017 to 2021 were speed-related.
Despite the statistics, he amended the bill in committee after hearing concerns about using technology to prevent drivers from exceeding the posted speed by more than 10 mph for any reason.
The amended bill would instead require vehicles manufactured or sold in the state to be equipped with “passive intelligent speed assistance.” The warning system would provide audio and video signals to alert drivers when they are traveling 10 mph over the posted speed.
The system would be phased in over eight years. In 2029, half of new passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles and buses manufactured or sold in the state would be required to have the warning system. All new vehicles would be required to have the warning system by 2032.
The rule would not apply to earlier model years or vehicles sold in other states.
Due to the significant cost for vehicle manufacturers to establish a California-specific production line, a bill analysis states that manufacturers would be more likely to simply overhaul their production for all American-built vehicles.
“In effect, the author is attempting to leverage the purchasing power of the state to create a new standard for nationwide industry,” the analysis reads.
Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, has said that driver training for all motor vehicles would go further in improving highway safety.
The Senate just passed our first-in-the-nation legislation (SB 961) to require new vehicles to be equipped with passive speed governors — alerting drivers when they exceed 10 MPH over the speed limit.
Studies show that this technology gets people to slow down. It saves lives.
— Senator Scott Wiener (@Scott_Wiener) May 21, 2024
Underride guards
As introduced, SB961 included a requirement for side underride guards on every truck, trailer or semitrailer with a gross vehicle weight rating exceeding 10,000 pounds. The pursuit called for equipping trucks manufactured, sold or registered in the state to come with side guards on both lateral sides of the vehicle.
Wiener touted the pursuit as a “head-on attempt” to reduce the number of traffic deaths and injuries on California roadways.
The underride guard mandate was met with stiff opposition from many in the trucking industry, including the California Trucking Association and OOIDA.
Doug Morris, OOIDA director of state government affairs, said the Association has shown side underride guards “are impractical, provide little to no safety benefit and cause major issues at many loading docks, railroad crossings as well as other traffic impediments.” Morris added that the costs outweigh the benefits.
The California Trucking Association encouraged Wiener not to compete with and instead support the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s ongoing research and rulemaking on the issue.
Wiener later removed the side underride guard provision.
SB961 next heads to the Assembly where it awaits assignment to committee. LL
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