30-03-2025
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.
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