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NEW YORK COULD MANDATE SPEED LIMITERS BY 2024

Blind spot standards for SUVs could also be changed for the better

SSC Tuatara

Along with states announcing the sales ban of ICE vehicles next decade, the war on driving cars is continuing with yet another law, this time targeting the speedometer. According to reports, New York State could implement speed limiters for all newly registered vehicles, as well as new blind spot standards aimed at reducing pedestrian accidents in just over a year from now. Senate Bill S9528 was introduced by Manhattan State Senator Brad Hoylman, and would require Intelligent Speed Assistance devices to be mandated on all new vehicles manufactured on or after January 1st, 2024, and registered in the state.

The bill would be an extension of an already existing pilot program implemented by the state, in which 50 vehicles in its municipal fleet operate with Intelligent Speed Assistance systems installed. The end goal of that program would be the installation of the systems in the city’s entire 30,000-vehicle fleet.

A similar mandate in the European Union is slated to come into force in July 2024, but in a more passive capacity compared to the American bill, which would use GPS and visual data to detect the speed limit.

National Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speed cameras camara legislation plan NRSS NHTSA

The speed limiter is just one of the “advanced safety technology” systems that would be required under the new safety standards. The bill also includes some other systems to be mandated that are aimed at making the road safer for pedestrians. According to the bill, these systems include “Active Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), Advanced Emergency Braking (AEB), Emergency Lane Keeping Systems (ELKS), Blind Spot Information Systems (BSIS), Drowsiness and Distraction Recognition Technology, Rear-View Camera Sensor Systems, and Event Data Recorders (EDR).”

Most of these systems are already standard in modern vehicles, or they are available options. However, the bill keeps going, and includes a subdivision “requiring the commissioner [of motor vehicles] to issue regulations for vehicles over 3,000 pounds to limit blind spots and establish standards regarding direct visibility of pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users from the driver’s position, by reducing to the greatest possible extent the blind spots in front and to the side of the driver.”

Most new vehicles today that are over 3,000 pounds come with active safety systems such as blind spot alert, front and rear parking sensors, and pedestrian/cross traffic sensing. 3,000 pounds is also not a lot for a modern vehicle. A C8 Corvette weighs well over 3,000 pounds, for instance.

One of the roadblocks to the bill will be if New York is allowed to set its own vehicle safety standards because as of now, they are the exclusive responsibility of the U.S. federal government and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. SUVs are obviously the target of this bill, as they not only tower over pedestrians but also have poor visibility and weigh much more than a standard sedan.

Traffic-related deaths in New York City have had a startling uptick in the past couple of years. In 2020 alone, 243 traffic-related deaths were reported, while that number jumped to 270 in 2021. Hoylman says that the rise is attributed to the failure of the promise of Vision Zero, and that the new mandates will improve safety for everybody.

Along with Senate Bill S9528, New York has implemented new legislation that will ticket motorists if their vehicle is “too loud.” This will be conducted via audio sensors connected to speed cameras. On the federal level, President Biden’s high budget infrastructure bill looks to disable vehicles from moving based on surveillance equipment that looks to detect impaired driving as soon as 2026, without clear measures as to how.

Meanwhile, transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg wants a national network of speed cameras, and has been vocal about raising the gasoline tax back in 2021. Over at the EPA, orders have directed automakers to average 40 mpg by 2026, accelerating the electric vehicle arms race. The problem is, inflation is making so-called zero-emission vehicles increasingly unattainable, while the rare earth metal supply chain executives have confessed that it won’t be able to meet the demand that politicians are forcing onto the industry within the arbitrary window they’re demanding.

GMC Hummer EV Ultium Battery Pack General Motors Electric Vehicle
Hummer EV chassis with the current Ultium Battery pack. Image Via GM.

Written by Alex

Alex is a freelance automotive journalist hailing from the Toronto area. He considers Michigan to be a warm place.

3 Comments

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  1. California can make its own rules. I don’t see why New York couldn’t. If the Feds interfere, the NY response can be to require $10,000,000 PL insurance for any cars not so equipped.

  2. Chicken politicians of New York:,
    You’re all out of touch with the American Ideas and values.
    What probably won’t work and continues make life harder on everyone else ,Speed limiters!!
    Have you heard of Law enforcement? Highway Patrol, Small Town Sheriff’s,Auto Insurance,seat belts,etc…
    Driving is a skill not an option!
    What’s being proposed will only give the operator of said vehicle more time to use a cellphone,and God only knows what else during the operation of a vehicle like this!
    Chicken politics,I’m sure none of you drive a vehicle anymore,you can all be replaced.People who own cars that are considered fast , don’t act the way you believe.
    It’s a privilege to own and operate Muscle Cars, Exotic cars, off road vehicles 4×4 pickups.
    What you Chicken politicians should be doing is :
    Trying to make The State of New York more appealing to all who dare to travel to such a rat infested,crime ridden ,corrupt hole!
    If New York is supposed to be one the the first thirteen colonies for people seeking a new Life free from Government oppression, over reach of corrupt Government, taxes without representation. Then we’ve failed as a nation.!
    Have a nice day, Weasels coward’s.

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