California vetoes ISA legislation, ‘delaying it for years’
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In a major setback to the United States’ efforts to reduce road deaths, Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a California bill requiring all new passenger vehicles, trucks and buses in the state to have Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) from 2030. It could now take years before such critical features are adopted by the nation.
ISA is an ADAS technology that alerts drivers with visual and audio signals when they exceed the speed limit. (The bill had recommended warning the driver if they exceed the speed limit by 10mph.) As per the bill, emergency vehicles and motorcycles would have been exempt, as would vehicles without GPS or a front-facing camera.
Many supported the legislation to curb rising road deaths, as speeding causes nearly one third of traffic fatalities in the U.S. However, car manufacturers and dealers opposed the idea of mandatory ISA, claiming that having different rules in California could make things confusing for them. They also argued that it would make more sense to wait for a national evaluation of the systems by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) before making California-specific laws.
Even though the California Bill would have only affected vehicles sold in the state, it likely would have had a much broader impact. When legislation like this is passed, carmakers often default to offering the safety tech everywhere, even where it's not required, to reduce the number of variations in their product models.“California has a history of pioneering vehicle standards that influence the national agenda. The hope was that this ISA bill would drive broader discussion and accelerate the debate and adoption of ISA technology across the United States. The benefits of ISA are clear: fewer serious crashes, more lives saved and enhanced overall road safety,” says Giovanni Giancaspro, Senior Manager Product Marketing at TomTom.
California has been active in adopting pro-sustainability measures in mobility, like subsidies and incentives for electric vehicles and phasing out ICE vehicles by 2035. Had this bill passed, California would have become the first state in the country to mandate ISA technology. US regulators would have possibly followed California, as happened in the 1960s when Wisconsin first mandated seatbelts – which led to the federal government mandating it nationally.
“The ball now goes back to the NHTSA; they are at an early stage of evaluating the technology and will eventually produce a recommendation that may lead to the adoption of the technology at the federal level. However, this process will require time, and after California’s veto, the agenda to see ISA-like legislation adopted in the U.S. may be pushed years down the line,” says Giovanni.
Proven efficiency
The most accurate ISA systems use two data sources to inform the driver of the speed limit. First, it uses on-vehicle sensors, like cameras, to read speed limit signs as you drive past them, and then shows the speed limit in your car so you’re always aware. Additionally, ISA also taps into ADAS Maps, which informs the system of the speed limit on any given road even if there are no signs around, especially in residential areas.
When a driver exceeds the speed limit they will see or hear a visual or audible warning tone. In some applications, the vehicle will actively limit the driver’s speed. In all cases, these systems can be turned off or overridden if the driver wishes.
Similar systems in Europe have been effective in lowering the average driving speed. The European Union passed the law mandating ISA in vehicles in November 2021, and by July this year, the tech became mandatory for all new cars sold in the E.U.
The European regulation mandates the use of speed limit technology in both cars and light and heavy-duty trucks. Manufacturers must fit their vehicles with the technology, most are working with companies like TomTom to deliver fused camera-map systems that provide the highest degree of speed limit accuracy.
As ISA is not an autonomous technology and drivers can choose to disable the feature, its impact on road safety depends on the driver’s choice too. But there is no denying that ISA technology, if we choose it, can make a big difference on our roads. Since speed plays a major role in the seriousness of traffic accidents, any technology that encourages safer driving is a win. Right now, the public, car manufacturers, and the government aren't fully embracing ISA in the US. It looks like there's a long road ahead before everyone's on board.
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