California voted against the same technology
Imagine you are pulled over by the police for speeding. The police ticket you. Then the court convicts you. You pay your fine. You cleared everything up, right? Nope. You find out your life is changing. The government is fitting your car with speed-limiting tech to make sure you don’t break the law again.
This isn’t some dystopian Science Fiction. This is a real challenge drivers in Washington may face soon. And with new technology making vehicle speed limiters as accessible as alcohol interlock devices, many other states may follow suit.
Washington State has yet to pass this law. House Bill 1596 is a proposal the House Transportation Committee is currently considering. It would require “intelligent speed restricted driver’s licenses” for Washingtonians convicted of reckless driving or who have accumulated enough moving violations to have their regular license suspended.
Washington State’s proposed speed-limiting tech
What happens if you end up with one of these restricted licenses? You can only drive a car with an intelligent speed restrictor. This is technology that judges your location with GPS, knows the speed limit of the road your on, and doesn’t let your vehicle exceed that speed. The Washington law proposes allowing drivers to override the system up to three times a month–presumably for passing or emergencies.
Why go to all this trouble? Here’s what the text of the bill says: “Speeding continues to be a component of traffic deaths, and law enforcement is increasingly dealing with more speed-related incidents. The legislature finds that all Washington drivers are at risk when speeding is involved, and solutions to change public behavior are needed.”
California has considered a similar law but it vetoed the proposal. Why? Because lawmakers worried the technology is buggy, and might misjudge which road drivers are actually on.
This tech has a lot in common with ignition interlock devices that 29 states require DUI offenders to install on their cars. Interlock devices have a breathalyzer and you must blow below the legal limit to start your vehicle. Interlock devices are only required after you’ve been convicted.
