SB 961 would require ‘Intelligence Speed Assistance’ in all California vehicles.
Speeding Kills 1,000 People a Year in California
Speeding is the #1 cause of severe and fatal traffic crashes in California, killing around 1,000 people each year.
The faster a driver is going, the more likely a crash is to occur. A driver has a smaller scope of vision, less time to react, and can’t stop the vehicle as quickly. And the human body can’t withstand the additional force as speeds rise.
With vehicles larger, heavier, and more powerful than ever – plus drivers more distracted – the stakes with speeding have never been higher. We need every possible solution, and there’s a proven one: Intelligent Speed Assistance.
About SB 961 (authored by California Senator Scott Wiener)
Senate Bill 961 would require all cars and trucks manufactured or sold in California starting in 2030 (except emergency vehicles) to have ‘Intelligent Speed Assistance’ technology. This is just like the advanced driver assistance features like when a vehicle is in your blind spot. An audio and visual warning would be given to the driver when the vehicle is being operated in excess of 10 MPH over the speed limit.
Walk SF is cosponsoring SB 961 and working hard to make this bill law. Bringing Intelligent Speed Assistance into California’s vehicle fleet would save untold lives and like change the entire automobile industry.
SB 961 was passed by the State Senate on May 21, 2024 by a 23-13 vote. It was passed by the Assembly Transportation Committee and the Assembly Privacy & Consumer Protection Committee, and will face the full Assembly floor for a vote by the end of August 2024.
Intelligent Speed Assistance saves lives and the public supports it
Throughout time, there have been new vehicle safety technologies – starting with the seatbelt – that have become widely embraced and saved countless lives.
Today’s vehicles already have a range of advanced driver assistance features. It’s more than time for driver assistance to include encouraging safe speeds by drivers. All new vehicles in Europe are now required to have Intelligent Speed Assistance as of summer 2024.
Intelligent Speed Assistance has been found to lower speeding among drivers using the systems. In Europe, the effects on speeding have been dramatic for both warning and control type systems, decreasing the amount of speeding and narrowing the speed distributions.
A new survey by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that most Americans support speeding warning technology in vehicles.
Why SB 961 is part of Walk SF’s campaign to #SlowOurStreets
Dangerous speeds kill again and again on San Francisco streets – and across California.
Pedestrians are especially at risk when drivers go dangerous speeds. The most frequently cited study on speed and risk of fatality shows that at 25 MPH and under, a person has a less than 1 in 4 chance of being severely injured or killed if they are hit. But by 40 MPH, this flips – with 75% of pedestrians suffering life-threatening or fatal injuries. And of people walking, those who are the most likely to be hurt or killed are seniors, people with disabilities, people of color, and low-income people.
With the support of our members, Walk SF launched its #SlowOurStreets campaign in 2020 to push for every possible speed solution.
Support Walk SF’s work to #SlowOurStreets with a donation today!
Questions? Contact jodie@walksf.org.