California plans GPS-controlled speed limiters on all cars
Proposed legislation would see new cars automatically restricted to just 10mph above posted limitThe US state of California could be one of the first places in the world to require all new vehicles to automatically limit their speed to no more than 10mph (16km/h) above the posted speed limit.
According to new legislation submitted to law-makers, the new restrictions – if successfully passed – would see speed limiters applied from 2026 on all 2027 model year vehicles sold within the state.
Differing from other, less effective use of speed limiters – like the former 180km/h cap on cars sold in Japan, or the much higher 250km/h ‘gentleman’s agreement’ that limited speed in Germany – the Californian controls are adaptive, using the vehicle’s on-board GPS to govern the speed.
That means that theoretically the speed limiter could kick in anywhere, including built-up urban areas, although initially it might only be employed in accident black spots.
The motivation behind the new GPS data-controlled limits for cars is a spike in traffic deaths in San Francisco’s Bay Area and California itself.
Speed has also been judged a factor in a third of all traffic fatalities across the country.
In 2022 alone, the federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated that more than 40,000 people died on US roads.
Exempt from the bill would be emergency vehicles, including the California Highway Patrol.
Some car-makers such as Hyundai already offer GPS-controlled speed limiters on models like the new Kona, although owners can deactivate the system.
Elsewhere, all new cars in Europe and the UK have, since 2022, been required to be fitted with intelligent speed limiters, which are active by default but, again, can be deactivated by drivers.
As part of the mandatory rules, a speed limit breach must signal a driver alert whether it is an acoustic or vibrating warning, haptic feedback via the accelerator pedal or active slowing of the car.
In California, the new bill is set to face stiff opposition from motorists and the car industry, citing an infringement on civil liberties.
American safety bodies are already lobbying the federal government hard for EU-style mandatory speed alerts on all cars.
A multi-vehicle crash in North Las Vegas in November 2023, which resulted in nine deaths, is being cited as a catalyst for change in both the federal and state response to the issue of speed-related fatalities in the US.
Related: Where to next for vehicle safety
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