On Tuesday, May 21, 2024, Senate Bill 961 narrowly passed its first vote in the state Senate. This bill, if passed, could significantly impact the prominence of speeding throughout the state. The passing of this bill would make California the first state in the United States to have such a law, however, the European Union has a similar law that is set out to take effect this July. Furthermore, let’s learn more about this proposed bill, the prominence of speeding-related accidents, and how this bill may impact the state.
Senate Bill 961
Senate Bill 961 was first introduced by state Senator Scott Wiener of San Francisco on January 23, 2024. The existing law disallows individuals from driving a vehicle faster than the stated speed limit or at a speed that is greater than is reasonable given the weather conditions, traffic, or amount of visibility. If the new bill is passed, it would require fifty percent of certain vehicles to be equipped with a passive intelligent speed assistance system that would alert the driver with a visual and audible warning each time the vehicle surpasses more than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit. This aforementioned bill would begin with 2029 model cars.The latter part of the bill further explains that beginning in 2032, all newly manufactured vehicles would have to come equipped with this passive intelligent speed assistance system. In the event that there are conflicting speed limits, the higher speed limit will apply, and emergency vehicles will be excluded from this bill. Violation of this bill is punishable as a crime and the bill would be enforced by state-mandated local programs.
Speeding-Related Accidents
To give some perspective as to the dangers of speeding, the National Safety Council has compiled some statistics. According to the data, speeding was a contributing factor in 29% of all traffic fatalities in 2022, amounting to approximately 12,151 deaths in total. The data further shows that speeding becomes increasingly dangerous when combined with impaired individuals or unsafe road conditions caused by inclement weather. Furthermore, the impact that speeding has on accident rates and traffic safety should be seriously considered.If you are injured in a car accident caused by a speeding driver, it is important to know your legal options. Depending on the circumstances of the accident, it is very likely that you will be able to recover compensation for the injuries you sustained. To do this, it is important to seek legal counsel from an experienced car accident lawyer who can help you file a car accident claim and ensure that your insurance company does not take advantage of you. It is important to know that a car accident claim must be filed within two years of the date of the accident in the state of California. Failure to file a claim within this period will likely bar you from pursuing any legal action.
Impact of the Bill
If Senate Bill 961 is passed, it will greatly enhance the safety of drivers, passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists in California. Although the speed assistance systems would be slowly rolled out over time, their influence will start to permeate throughout the road as more and more vehicles are forced to slow down, thereby slowing the overall speed of traffic. If implemented, this bill could greatly reduce the number of heedless and preventable accidents throughout the state. Additionally, the passing of this bill may encourage other states to adopt a similar law which would be a monumental advancement for traffic safety in the United States.
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