Beware, bad drivers: Some states are passing laws that punish reckless driving with devices that control vehicles' top speeds.
Washington State recently became the second state in the U.S., joining Virginia, to enact a law placing speed-limiting technology in the cars of drivers with reckless driving records. Washington, D.C., also has a similar law.
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a law in May requiring drivers whose licenses are suspended for reckless driving to have intelligent speed assistance (ISA) devices installed on their cars if they want to drive again immediately.
The anti-speeding technology would monitor the driver's speed and prevent their vehicle from going over local speed limits. The law comes as Washington's state traffic safety commission reported that fatal crashes involving speeding drivers increased nearly 40% between 2019 and 2023.
"This legislation was inspired by a crash when four individuals, including three children, were killed when their car was struck by a driver going 112 miles per hour," said Ferguson when signing Washington's new law. It will take effect in January 2029.
