PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 1, 2024
CONTACT: Jodie Medeiros, Executive Director, Walk SF, jodie@walksf.org, 415.596.1580 (cell); Marta Lindsey, Communications Director, Walk SF, marta@walksf.org, 617.833.7654
Vehicle speed technology bill SB 961 passed by California Assembly
First-in-the-nation law would require vehicle alert drivers going 10+MPH over the limit
SB 961 helps address the #1 cause of severe and fatal traffic crashes in California: speeding
San Francisco, Calif. – Late last night in the final hour of the legislative session, the California State Assembly voted 42-12 and the California State Senate voted 26-9 to pass SB 961. The vehicle speed technology bill now goes to Governor Newsom.
If signed into law by Governor Newsom, the bill will require vehicle manufacturers to install speed warning technology in all vehicles made or sold in California (excluding emergency vehicles and motorcycles) starting in 2030. This is the first law of its kind in the United States.
“Speed kills, again and again on our streets,” said Jodie Medeiros, executive director of Walk San Francisco (Walk SF). “Speeding is the #1 cause of severe and fatal crashes in California. Speeding takes away lives and devastates families. We are relieved and grateful that California legislators have taken action to take on dangerous speeding.”
California would be the first state in the United States to require vehicles to utilize advanced driver assistance to alert drivers when they are speeding.
SB 961 (Senator Scott Wiener) specifically would require all cars and trucks manufactured or sold in California except emergency vehicles and motorcycles to give an audio and visual alert to drivers when they’re going more than 10 MPH above the speed limit, starting in 2030. This would use existing advanced driver assistance technology, like when your car alerts you there is a vehicle in your blind spot.
“Requiring speed technology in vehicles is a common sense solution that will make our streets safer for everyone, inside and outside of vehicles. In a state where over 1,000 people are killed by speeding drivers every year, this bill would be absolutely transformative in making our roads safer,” said Jodie Medeiros.
Europe already requires what’s called ‘Intelligent Speed Assistance’ in all new vehicles. The United States federal government has been considering vehicle requirements for Intelligent Speed Assistance, but is moving slowly to adopt this. This is despite an alarming recent rise in traffic fatalities nationwide in recent years, and recommendations by the National Transportation Safety Board and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A recent survey by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that most Americans support anti-speeding technology.
“The federal government is dragging its feet when it comes to requiring this commonsense, urgently-needed safety measure that will save countless lives,” said Medeiros. “California is taking the lead in addressing dangerous speeds and our state has good reason to. More than 1,000 Californians are killed in speed-related crashes each year, and tens of thousands of people are seriously injured.”
Pedestrians are at the greatest risk from speeding drivers, and it’s only getting more dangerous as vehicles are bigger, heavier, and are able to reach very high speeds in seconds.
The automobile industry continues to design vehicles that are dramatically faster than in previous generations. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2022 Automotive Trends Report, the average American vehicle from model year 2021 could reach 60 mph in 7.7 seconds. This is about twice as fast as cars purchased in the early 1980s. Electric vehicles are even faster than the average American vehicle, with many reaching 60 MPH in only a few seconds.
“If the auto industry is going to make cars and trucks that encourage drivers to go too fast, there needs to be vehicle technology that helps counteract this,” said Medeiros. “Sixty years ago, when states wanted to require seat belts in cars, the auto industry fought it. But no one would question seat belts today as a necessary safety measure. Intelligent Speed Assistance in vehicles is no different.”
In 1961, Wisconsin was the first state to mandate seat belts in all vehicles, eventually leading to a federal law requiring seat belts in all vehicles. Seat belts are credited with saving more than 500,000 lives in America.
“Governor Newsom has a chance to make California a leader in traffic safety by signing SB 961 into law,” said Medeiros. “We are hopeful that Governor Newsom will see the urgent need for this commonsense, life saving solution.”
“The speeding driver who hit and killed my son Paul was going 54 in a 40 MPH zone,” said Joe Martinez, a member of San Francisco Bay Area Families for Safe Streets. “Paul was just 21 when he died. SB 961 is a chance to prevent lives from being cut short from dangerous speeding.” Paul Martinez was the victim of a speeding driver in Fresno.
“My mother was crossing the street when a speeding driver hit her,” said Jenny Yu, a founding member of San Francisco Bay Area Families for Safe Streets. “Everything that defined her daily life and happiness ended in that moment. Since the crash, my mom suffers from severe cognitive impairment, PTSD & suicidal tendencies. SB 961 will help prevent speed-related crashes like the one that devastated my family.” Judy Yu was the victim of a speeding driver in San Francisco.
“My daughter Aileen was just five years old and in the crosswalk in front of her school when a speeding driver hit and killed her,” said Liz Quiroz, a member of San Francisco Bay Area Families for Safe Streets. “Speeding is hurting and killing people every day in California. The technology exists to help change this. As a mother who lost her precious little girl to a speeding driver, I am calling Governor Newsom to do something and sign SB 961.” Aileen Quiroz was the victim of a speeding driver in San Jose.
More About State Bill 961 and Intelligent Speed Assistance
Read the full bill text for SB 961 (State Senator Scott Wiener) here. Walk SF is cosponsoring SB 961.
A recent survey by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that most Americans support anti-speeding technology. The National Transportation Safety Board recommends that vehicles are required to have Intelligent Speed Assistance technology as a standard feature, as does the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Europe has embraced Intelligent Speed Assistance in recent years and now requires it in all new vehicles. 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. The European Transport Safety Council reports that Intelligent Speed Assistance could reduce road deaths by 20% across the European Union.
Why Speed Matters
In San Francisco and California, speed is the #1 cause of severe and fatal traffic crashes. More than 1,000 Californians have died in speed-related traffic crashes every year for the past five years, and thousands more severely injured.
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.
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 injuries or dying.
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Walk San Francisco (‘Walk SF’) advocates for safe streets for everyone who walks, which is everyone. Since our founding in 1998, Walk SF has been leading the way to make San Francisco a pedestrian-first city where people of every age and ability can walk safely. Learn more.
San Francisco Bay Area Families for Safe Streets is a group of people who have been directly affected by traffic crashes, including crash survivors and people whose loved ones have been killed or injured in traffic crashes. Learn more.