SACRAMENTO, Calif.-- Gov.
Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Saturday that would have required new cars to beep at drivers if they exceed the speed limit.California would have become the first to require such systems for all new cars, trucks and buses sold in the state starting in 2030.
The bill, aimed at reducing traffic deaths, would have mandated that vehicles beep at drivers when they exceed the speed limit by at least 10 mph (16kph).The European Union has passed similar legislation to encourage drivers to slow down.
California's proposal would have provided exceptions for emergency vehicles, motorcycles and motorized scooters.In explaining his veto, Newsom said federal law already dictates vehicle safety standards and adding California-specific requirements would create a patchwork of regulations.The National Highway Traffic Safety “is also actively evaluating intelligent speed assistance systems, and imposing state-level mandates at this time risks disrupting these ongoing federal assessments,” the Democratic governor said.Opponents, including automotive groups and the state Chamber of Commerce, said such regulations should be decided by the federal government, which earlier this year established new requirements for automatic emergency braking to curb traffic deaths.
Republican lawmakers also said the proposal could make cars more expensive and distract drivers.The legislation would have likely impacted all new car sales in the U.S., since the California market is so large that car manufacturers would likely just make all of their vehicles comply.California often throws that weight around to influence national and even international policy.
The state has set its own emission standards for cars for decades, rules that more than a dozen other states have also adopted.And when California announced it would eventually ban the sale of new gas-powered cars, major automakers soon followed with their own announcement to phase out fossil-fuel vehicles.The speeding a...