Virginia Introduces Speed Limiting Device Legislation, Along With Several Other States
For Americans, Virginia is probably one of the worst states to be a driving enthusiast. It has some of the lowest speed limits in the country and also one of the lowest thresholds for what is legally considered "reckless driving.” Virginia is now considering a bill that would mandate speed limiters for motorists with too many points on their license.
We’ve covered the topic broadly in the past. The European Union created laws that require new vehicles to annoy drivers whenever it detects they’re exceeding the posted limits, potentially setting the stage for speed limiting devices that actually make it impossible to speed. Some American regions have likewise attempted to implement similar rules to limited success.
Now, Virginia has introduced HB 2096, a bill otherwise known as the “Intelligent Speed Assistance Program.” The proposed legislation would empower the Commission on the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program to implement speed limiting devices to vehicles, rather than suspended licenses or instituting jail time, owned by drivers that the state has deemed reckless or prone toward speeding. It likewise creates a new misdemeanor crime for tampering with or disabling the device once it has been fitted to the vehicle.
Unlike the already invasive passive speed limiters implemented in Europe, the hardware being pitched by Virginia actually makes it impossible to speed. According to The Drive, anyone caught traveling 100 mph (or over) would be court-ordered to install a speed limiter as a potential alternative to jail time. However, driving 20 mph over the speed limit in Virginia (which for most of the state is 60 mph or less) already constitutes reckless driving — which is one of the thresholds outlined in the proposed legislation.
Local outlets stipulate that the devices use a combination of GPS and digitally mapped speed limit data to determine the speed limit at a driver’s precise location and cap their speed as dedicated by the positional data. It's kind of like automated cruise control, where the driver isn't in control of setting the limits. Washington DC has already passed similar laws (which are slated to go into effect this September) and a few other states have introduced similar bills.
From The Drive:
According to the Washington Post, the proposal currently sits with the General Assembly following an amendment by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin. Youngkin removed the attached two- to six-month sentence, instead leaving the decision on the length of use to the state courts.
Arlington Delegate Patrick Hope, who sponsored the bill, said advocacy groups like Families for Safe Streets, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and the National Safety Council gave him the idea. After driving a vehicle equipped with a speed limiter, he came away impressed.
“It was easy to use, and once you’re engaged, it’s impossible to go over the speed limit,” said Hope to the WP. “It will make our streets safer.”
Intelligent speed assistance technology isn’t new. Sign recognition software is commonplace in modern vehicles and comes with speed warnings. Some go further and will limit speed overages, like when using adaptive cruise control. But those are adjustable settings in a passenger car. Transit vehicles, like school buses, already have their speeds capped. Fleet vehicles are easier to supervise, however. Keeping track of an individual is a little more problematic.
The bill has some missing components right now. As mentioned above, it doesn’t apply to commercial vehicles and it seems like there’s no hard-and-fast rules on what determines exactly who gets their license suspended and who gets the speed limiting device installed. Some have argued that this also sets a precedent for this type of technology to be implemented in all new vehicles (especially since a lot of the foundational technologies now come equipped on modern cars).
Earlier drafts of the bill also stipulated that the devices would be used for between two-to-six months. However, Governor Glenn Youngkin made a few amendments, including one that lets the courts decide how long it should remain equipped to the vehicle — perhaps even indefinitely.
Assuming the House accepts Youngkin’s amendments, the law is supposed to come into effect for Virginia in July of 2026. States proposing similar legislation include Washington and Maryland, both of which have based their bills off the one that passed in the District of Columbia. California likewise pushed for legislation requiring passive speed limiters (the kind that annoy the driver but don't actually prevent the car from speeding). But California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill last fall.
[Images: Einar Magnus Magnusson/Shutterstock; Noey smiley/Shutterstock; Eli Wilson/Shutterstock]
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Consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulations. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, he has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed about the automotive sector by national broadcasts, participated in a few amateur rallying events, and driven more rental cars than anyone ever should. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and learned to drive by twelve. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer and motorcycles.
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Study upon study show and conclude that speed is NOT a factor in number of accidents. The great majority of accidents happen under the listed speed limit where the accidents occur.
Also, the majority of accidents occur in lower speed city and suburban streets.
Speed is a major factor in single vehicle accidents. And, speed greatly contributes to the severity of damage to the vehicle/s, and to damage of the person or people in the accident vehicle/s.
So, what is being protected by such draconian laws?
The first thing that comes to mind is a major benefit to Insurance Companies.
Insurance companies will reap the most benefits from such speed control devices and legislation. Lower speed driving will NOT reduce the amount of accidents. We know that from the decades worth of driving and accidents data.
What can be reduced then is the level of damage to the vehicle/s and person's involved. That will save the insurance companies how much they have to put out to indemnify/make whole the insured.
Now, an argument can be made that if insurance pays out less, then that means insurance premiums will also go down. LOL!
Ok, sure, that's an argument, but not a realistic one.
When has any of us received a DECREASE in our monthly or yearly premiums?
Even as a vehicle ages, and its value greatly decreases, the insurance premium remains the same over those same years, and often increases.
A decrease, with same coverages? No.
Another potential beneficiary for lower speed limits?
The local, county, and state policing agencies.
Many municipalities rely on speeding ticket revenues.
Lowering limits on roads and sections that make no sense to go that slow, benefits ticket revenues.
But, wouldn't physical speed limit limiters in vehicles reduce municipalities speeding ticket revenues?
Yes, such a thing would absolutely reduce those revenues.
And, IMO, that is a one big reason why that technology is not already included and required in new vehicles.
The technology to automatically control and limit vehicles to posted limits has existed for at least the past two decades.
But, that has never been implemented by state nor federal laws.
One, people want and expect a "right" to drive their vehicles at the speeds they choose. If that speed is higher than the limit, then that person knowingly accepts the potential to receive a ticket and pay the price for that choice.
I want that right and choice. I am willing to pay the price of a speeding ticket, if and when I am caught. If that is the price for having the freedom to drive a bit faster than some ridiculously low speed limit, I accept that.
Putting those speed limiting devices on driver's who constantly drive way over the posted limits?
I can agree to that, but.
How is the "point" system going to be applied and used?
Does one speeding offense result in getting the limiter?
Maybe, but that one offense should be something like driving 50% over the posted limit.
For example, if the posted limit is 40 and the driver is going 60, that is 50% over the limit.
Overall, based on the available traffic speed data gathered over the decades, and accident data, the problem appears to not be some drivers going over the speed limit, but that speed limits are arbitrarily too low in many areas.
And, on highways, the main factor leading to an accident is the DIFFERENCE in speed among the cars on multilane highways, and not actual speed above the posted limit.
Example. Let's consider a three lane highway with a speed limit of 65mph for non semi vehicles, and 60mph limit for semis along with requiring they use only the two right lanes.
On such a highway layout, speed, and lane requirements, is speeding the greatest factor that may cause an accident.
Those who don't know the data may say, "Yes!", mostly because the public is made overly aware that "speed kills". And that idea is reinforced by all the ticketing of drivers going over the limit/s.
Still, the decades of data show that all that is not true.
The main factor is the "differences in speed" of the vehicles on the road.
In our example three lane highway, there can be Semis going 60mph in the middle lane, while there are passenger vehicles doing 65mph in that same lane.
Even if a semi is in the far right lane, the speed limit is 60, and there may vehicles doing the 65 limit. That difference in speed causes drivers to change lanes, and often without properly looking, and not properly signaling and WAITING for a clean and clear opportunity to change lanes.
That simple example is demonstrated by the data, that the difference in speed is the main factor.
And well all know from out own driving experiences that on a multilane highway there are many vehicles driving at difference speeds in each lane, and semis do not all stay in the right lane or lanes. When semis are in both right lanes, and then there is a semi in the far left lane, where it is not supposed to be, that causes not only differences in speeds on each lane, but large physical hazards that drivers attempt to drive around and drive away from.
If there are semis in both right lanes and they are doing 65-70, over the posted limit, and a non semi vehicle wants to pass on the left, that driver will have to increase speed over 70mph to pass. Now, that driver is a risk for getting a speeding ticket.
Also, in that scenario, if a driver has vehicle that is speed limited limited, due to legal requirement, that vehicle and driver are now yet another obstacle for all other drivers on that road.
The speed limit is 65mph for non semis. That vehicle tech limited vehicle is in the middle lane and can only go 65mph. There are now semis coming up behind and even to the right and left going 70mph. Those semis will increase their speeds to get around that penalized and limited driver.
That's a HAZARD to all drivers who happen to be on the road as that restricted driver.
Yeah, that was a long post. Still, I had to write it.
Too often we end up with legislation written by people/committee, where not enough thought was put into it.
It's been said before, so I shall say it again--Speed doesn't kill. Sudden and/or massive deceleration to zero from high speeds kill.