Advocates has joined other safety organizations in urging Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) to sign HB 2096 into law. This legislation will prevent speeding in the Commonwealth by establishing an Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) Program within the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program (VASAP). Speeding is the number one factor in traffic fatalities in Virginia, accounting for 49.5% of all traffic deaths in 2023. There were 25,274 speed-related crashes, 449 deaths and 13,474 injuries.
HB 2096 allows judges to require drivers convicted of reckless driving, racing, and people who have their driver’s licenses suspended for speeding to install and use technology that limits a motor vehicle’s speed based on the applicable speed limits and obtain a restricted driver’s license. The legislation also requires people convicted of driving in excess of 100 miles per hour to utilize the speed limiting technology with a restricted driver’s license. This type of technology has been used for more than 30 years on commercial fleets. When used properly, it makes it nearly impossible for a chronic speeding offender to exceed the speed limit and gives the driver a chance to change their unsafe driving behavior.
We urge enactment of HB 2096 to ensure that Virginia takes the lead in preventing speed-related traffic fatalities.
Read the full letter here.