Latest news with #IntelligentSpeedLimiters
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
This State Wants to Force Speed Limiters on Repeat Offenders' Cars
Virginia may be for lovers, as the state's marketing slogan proclaims, just don't get caught speeding. It's a state that taxes most vehicles annually as personal property, at a rate of $4.57 per $100 of assessed value. Don't have a Virginia license plate? That will cost you $100 a year. The Commonwealth of Virginia also bans radar detectors, with highway patrol officers confiscating them as well as issuing a fine. Driving more than 20 mph over the posted speed limit, or more than 85 mph on its highways, will net you punishing fines and potential jail time. So it comes as little surprise that it's about to become the first state in the U.S. to have judges authorize Intelligent Speed Limiters to be placed on vehicles driven by repeat speeding offenders who have accumulated enough demerits on their driving record or who have been convicted of driving more than 100 mph. If they do not agree to the speed limiter, their license will be suspended. If they agree to have the Intelligent Speed Limiter installed, it must remain on the vehicle anywhere from two-to-six months, depending on the judge's decision. During that time, the only vehicle the offender can drive is the one with the device. Offenders would pay for the device out of pocket. Any attempt to tamper with the device will also be a class 1 misdemeanor and up to a year in jail. In this way, Intelligent Speed Limiters would be treated much like Breathalyzer ignition interlocks. The Speed Limiter program will be administered by the Commission on the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program. The bill, known as HB2096, passed the legislature and is awaiting Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin's signature. If signed, the bill will take effect on July 1, 2026. Washington State's House Transportation Committee is considering a similar bill, while in California, a comparable bill was sent to Governor Gavin Newsom last year, but Newsom vetoed it. None of this is an issue in Europe, where the EU now mandates speed limiters on new cars sold course, the Commonwealth of Virginia already allows the use of speed cameras in school and work zones, with more to come. Typically, getting caught results in a citation and a $100 fine. According to a January 2025 Virginia State Police Department report, 579,085 drivers were caught by the cameras statewide, generating nearly $34 million in fines. The Intelligent Speed Limiters use GPS tracking to judge the speed limit of the road being driven. If the car exceeds that limit, it emits an alert or physically limits the vehicle's speed. How successful this program is remains to be seen. But given Virginia's history, one suspects it will become law.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Drive Fast in Virginia? A Speed Limiter May Be in Your Car's Future
Virginia is set to be the first state in the U.S. to mandate speed limiters for repeat speeding. The state already has some of the most strict laws on speeding, with potential jail time for driving just 20 mph over. California recently saw a similar bill vetoed, and there's another limiter bill before Washington state's house right now. The commonwealth of Virginia might be for lovers, at least according to the state slogan, but it is emphatically not for speeders. State law bans radar detectors and classifies exceeding the posted limit by 20 mph or more as reckless driving, a class 1 misdemeanor. Get caught driving anywhere in Virginia at over 85 mph and that's reckless driving too, with steep fines and possible jail time. Now it appears the state is about to put a new law on the books that will mandate speed limiters on the cars of those convicted of reckless driving, or who have too many demerits on their driving license. Intelligent speed limiters are nothing new, though Virginia would be the first state to enforce them on those with a habit for speed. A similar bill is before Washington State's House Transportation Committee—Washington law considers speeds of 20 mph or higher over posted limits as excessive speed—and another one in California was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom just last fall. Meanwhile, a form of speed limiter is mandatory on new vehicles sold in the EU. GPS tracking is used in Intelligent Speed Limiters to judge the speed limit of a road a vehicle is driving down. If you're exceeding that limit, the limiter will either sound an audible alert or physically limit the speed of the vehicle. The Virginia bill doesn't specify which type of limiter will be fitted to vehicles driven by habitual speeders, just that tampering with the device in any way will come with further penalties. It's much the same rules as exist around Breathalyzer ignition interlocks, and indeed the program is to be administered by the Commission on the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program. Anyone who has driven a car that has GPS-enabled speed limit warning, perhaps a red light in the dash display, knows that warnings aren't much of a deterrent. In fact, in the popular animated series Initial D, the soft chiming of the speed warning in the hero's Toyota is part of the iconic features of the show. That speed chime was part of an agreement among Japanese car manufacturers at the time, the same so-called "gentleman's agreement" that limited maximum horsepower to 276 horsepower and kicked on any time speeds went over 64 mph. If it's just an audible annoyance, then how effective a mandated speed limiter is depends on how much of an annoyance it is. If it physically prevents the vehicle from speeding, then its effectiveness depends on how accurate the GPS is—and it can certainly be glitchy. Further, this new bill doesn't only prevent convicted speeders from speeding again but provides a pathway away from license suspension. Accidentally hitting 65 mph in a 45-mph zone in a modern crossover that isolates you from the road isn't theoretically hard to do, especially if the road is straight and clear. Virginia has a number of freeways that have limits of only 45 mph. So if you're passing through Virginia, then keep an eye on your speedometer, and set the cruise control to a conservative pace. And if you happen to live in Virginia, maybe it's time to sell the Corvette and buy a big ol' 1970s domestic sedan with emissions-choked horsepower but a big bench front seat. After all, Virginia certainly isn't for speeders, but it doesn't mind if you're snuggling with your passenger as you cruise along at 5 mph under the limit. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
