California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that would have required new cars sold in the state to be equipped with technology that alerts drivers when they are exceeding the speed limit. The legislation, known as Senate Bill 65, was intended to promote road safety and reduce the number of traffic accidents caused by speeding.
Newsom stated in his veto message that while he supports efforts to improve road safety, he believes that the bill would not be an effective solution to the problem of speeding. He argued that the technology required by the bill, known as Speed Governor, is already available as an optional feature in many vehicles and that mandating its inclusion in all new cars sold in California would be overly burdensome for manufacturers.
The Governor’s decision to veto the bill has sparked controversy among road safety advocates and lawmakers who had championed the legislation. Proponents of the bill argue that the Speed Governor technology is a simple and cost-effective way to help prevent speeding-related accidents, which are a major cause of traffic fatalities in California.
Opponents of the bill, on the other hand, have raised concerns about the potential privacy implications of requiring cars to monitor and report their speed to drivers. They argue that such technology could be used to track drivers’ movements and behavior, infringing on their personal liberties.
Despite the veto, supporters of the bill remain hopeful that similar legislation will be introduced in the future to address the issue of speeding on California roads. In the meantime, they are urging drivers to exercise caution and obey speed limits to help prevent accidents and save lives.
Overall, Governor Newsom’s decision to veto Senate Bill 65 highlights the ongoing debate over how best to promote road safety and reduce traffic accidents in California. While the bill may have been rejected this time, the issue of speeding on the state’s roads is likely to remain a hot topic for lawmakers and advocates in the future.