por Suzanne Potter, Producer
Groups fighting for safer roads are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a bill requiring new vehicles to have a speed-monitoring system to warn drivers when they go more than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit.
Senate Bill 961 has already passed both houses of the state Legislature.
Marc Vukcevich, director of state policy for the advocacy organization Streets for All, said pedestrian deaths are epidemic.
“Pedestrian deaths have increased 68% since 2011,” Vukcevich pointed out. “With traffic violence as a whole being the number one cause of death for all people from the age of five to 44 in the state of California.”
Several big car manufacturers have come out in opposition to the bill, arguing the warnings could annoy and distract drivers. The change would only apply to new cars sold after 2030 and would add an estimated $60 to $100 to the cost of a car.
Vukcevich noted if drivers slow down even a few miles per hour, it would greatly reduce both the number of accidents and the suffering and death that result.
“The actual physical effect of getting hit by a car at that speed is substantially different from, let’s say, 23 to 30 miles per hour,” Vukcevich pointed out. “It’s really a substantial difference on how likely someone actually lives or dies.”
The European Union has already passed a similar measure. California would be the first state in the U.S. to require speed-warning systems.
One might wonder about the practicality of these systems. What happens when a car’s internet connection is lost? Past research shows drivers worry about irritating other motorists if they drive too slowly, which could be another sticking point. To address these concerns, experts suggest using camera-based traffic sign recognition systems that don’t rely on data connections. Additionally, they recommend allowing the system to be disabled but having it enabled by default with every ignition cycle.
Consumer groups blast bill to change CA Lemon Law
Consumer groups are calling for the withdrawal of a bill that would change the way California’s auto lemon law works – before the legislative session ends this week. Assembly Bill 1755‘s backers say it would reduce delays in getting reimbursed for a defective new car.
Rosemary Shahan, president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, said it would also mean if a problem arises more than six years after the sale, the lemon law no longer applies.
“It would shorten the statute of limitations for filing a lemon-law case to just one year after the warranty expires. Right now it’s four years after you find out you have a claim,” she explained.
