California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill requiring new vehicles sold in the state to alert drivers when exceeding the speed limit by at least 10 mph. The legislation, aimed at reducing traffic fatalities, would have made California the first state in the U.S. to mandate such systems for all cars, trucks, and buses starting in 2030.
The proposed law, modeled after similar legislation in the European Union, would have exempted emergency vehicles, motorcycles, and motorized scooters. The alert technology, known as Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), uses GPS to compare a vehicle’s speed with posted limits, issuing an audio and visual warning if the driver exceeds the limit by 10 mph.
In his veto statement, Newsom explained that federal law already governs vehicle safety standards and that adding state-specific regulations would create a complex “patchwork” of rules. He noted that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently evaluating intelligent speed assistance systems. “Imposing state-level mandates at this time risks disrupting these ongoing federal assessments,” Newsom said.
The bill faced opposition from automotive groups, the state Chamber of Commerce, and Republican lawmakers. Critics argued that the regulation should be addressed federally, especially given that NHTSA had already implemented new requirements for automatic emergency braking systems earlier this year. Some also expressed concern that the technology could increase vehicle costs and distract drivers.
If passed, the law would likely have affected new car sales nationwide due to California’s considerable market influence. The state has often set its own vehicle standards, such as emission regulations, which over a dozen other states have adopted. California’s previous announcements, like the eventual ban on gas-powered cars, have also prompted major automakers to follow suit with similar fossil-fuel phase-out plans.
Proponents of the bill, like State Senator Scott Wiener, expressed disappointment with the veto, arguing that California missed an opportunity to lead on a critical traffic safety issue. Wiener cited Wisconsin’s leadership on seatbelt mandates in 1961, stating that California should have taken similar action on speeding alerts to reduce fatalities.
Speeding remains a significant issue in California, where 35% of traffic deaths in 2021 were related to speeding, according to a legislative analysis. The NHTSA reports that speeding contributed to 10% of all car crashes in 2021. Despite the veto, speeding alert systems are already available on many vehicles in the U.S., with manufacturers like Ford, BMW, and Nissan offering some form of ISA in select models.
The push for intelligent speed assistance gained momentum after a 2022 crash in California, where a driver with a history of speeding ran a red light at over 100 mph, killing nine people. Following that incident, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that federal regulators require speed alerts in all new vehicles, though such mandates have not yet been adopted nationwide.
