Controversial California bill would physically stop new cars from speeding

[Max Rockatansky]

I can envision somewhere like Arizona putting something like that into a legislative bill as a response.  Some states did something similar (or tried) when the PHEV mandate was first becoming a thing.

[Hobart]

Frankly I'd be impressed if a state leg did the opposite: Prohibit all governors from all vehicles. It was a better world when I could draft like Dale Earnhardt off the back of an 18-wheeler doing 90.

(This move would be on brand for about 13 states off the top of my head.)

I actually think this is what should happen. Trucks struggling to pass each other on a two lane highway both going 5 miles an hour below the speed limit due to governors sucks, and there are times where speeding is required for safety purposes.

If excessive speed is an issue, reduce road design standards. You won't need any governors or speed cameras if going five over the speed limit turns drivers' knuckles as white as snow. There's better ways to do this than have a component on my car that can cause additional issues, and probably be circumvented with technical expertise anyways.

[formulanone]

Frankly I'd be impressed if a state leg did the opposite: Prohibit all governors from all vehicles. It was a better world when I could draft like Dale Earnhardt off the back of an 18-wheeler doing 90.

(This move would be on brand for about 13 states off the top of my head.)

I get the idea that a too-low speed maximum (say 65 or 55) would lead to NASCAR-style* drafting on freeways due to impatience, and I don't think it would actually make roads safer for that reason alone.

* or whatever floats your slipstream

[Max Rockatansky]

The best fuel economy run I had in my 2011 Ford Fiesta was when I drafted a fast semi doing 80 MPH west of Phoenix.  There was a line of two other cars doing the same thing and it resulted in a 54.1 MPG run. 

Not that I'm advocating I was in anyway being safe.  I just wanted to see if I could hit a high number.

[DriverDave]

Frankly I'd be impressed if a state leg did the opposite: Prohibit all governors from all vehicles. It was a better world when I could draft like Dale Earnhardt off the back of an 18-wheeler doing 90.

(This move would be on brand for about 13 states off the top of my head.)

I actually think this is what should happen. Trucks struggling to pass each other on a two lane highway both going 5 miles an hour below the speed limit due to governors sucks, and there are times where speeding is required for safety purposes.

If excessive speed is an issue, reduce road design standards. You won't need any governors or speed cameras if going five over the speed limit turns drivers' knuckles as white as snow. There's better ways to do this than have a component on my car that can cause additional issues, and probably be circumvented with technical expertise anyways.

Wouldn't it just make more sense to set the speed limit based on the road design standards rather than the other way around? Seems more reasonable than to make the road more unsafe as a response to frequent speeding.

[algorerhythms]

Frankly I'd be impressed if a state leg did the opposite: Prohibit all governors from all vehicles. It was a better world when I could draft like Dale Earnhardt off the back of an 18-wheeler doing 90.

(This move would be on brand for about 13 states off the top of my head.)

I actually think this is what should happen. Trucks struggling to pass each other on a two lane highway both going 5 miles an hour below the speed limit due to governors sucks, and there are times where speeding is required for safety purposes.

If excessive speed is an issue, reduce road design standards. You won't need any governors or speed cameras if going five over the speed limit turns drivers' knuckles as white as snow. There's better ways to do this than have a component on my car that can cause additional issues, and probably be circumvented with technical expertise anyways.

Wouldn't it just make more sense to set the speed limit based on the road design standards rather than the other way around? Seems more reasonable than to make the road more unsafe as a response to frequent speeding.

It depends on the context. A rural highway? Sure, of course it makes sense to set the speed limit based on the road design rather than adjust the road design to prefer a particular speed. A city street with lots of pedestrian traffic? There it makes more sense to slow down the cars, by changing the design when necessary.

[Scott5114]

Book a cheap flight to Vegas or Reno, take a ride share to the airport, buy your car in Nevada, and drive home.

Slight problem if it's a new "49 state" (non-California/CARB) vehicle whose emission system is not designed to be compliant with California emissions standards. If you are a resident of CA, you cannot register a vehicle that has less than 7,500 miles in CA if it does not comply with CA emission standards --regardless of model year.

Nevada is a pretty big state, so a lap around it is a hair under 1200 miles.  So buy the car in NV, do 7 laps around the state, and you should be good to go to register it in CA.

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm pretty confident I'll do 7,500 miles within four/five months of regular driving just around where I live now.  Come 2035 I'll definitely be inclined to purchase out east and knock out a solid 3,000 miles right off the dealer lot heading home.  It is also a pretty big assumption I'll be in California by 2035 given how the previous 12 years have gone.

[ZLoth]

Nevada is a pretty big state, so a lap around it is a hair under 1200 miles.  So buy the car in NV, do 7 laps around the state, and you should be good to go to register it in CA.

I escaped California five years ago, so it's a non-issue for me. Plus, the list of reasons for not moving back keeps getting longer.

[Scott5114]

Nevada is a pretty big state, so a lap around it is a hair under 1200 miles.  So buy the car in NV, do 7 laps around the state, and you should be good to go to register it in CA.

I escaped California five years ago, so it's a non-issue for me. Plus, the list of reasons for not moving back keeps getting longer.

Yes, the state one user on this forum lives in (and whether he'd like to take the opportunity to toot his own horn about it) is definitely a determining factor for whether the joke works or not.

[kphoger]

what a Senate Bill is

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Cassidy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Hagerty

[MikieTimT]

Frankly I'd be impressed if a state leg did the opposite: Prohibit all governors from all vehicles. It was a better world when I could draft like Dale Earnhardt off the back of an 18-wheeler doing 90.

(This move would be on brand for about 13 states off the top of my head.)

You mean, the states actually experiencing continued healthy growth?

[citrus]

I cannot think of a regular person I know that would be enthusiastic about Senate Bills like this.

I'm at least somewhat supportive of something similar. I suspect this sort of Senate Bill will not do very well at the statewide level, but some version of this can make sense in a place like San Francisco. I don't think there are many high-speed roads in Scott Weiner's district where people regularly go over the speed limit by more than 10mph, except for I-280 --- where 80mph is pretty safe most of the time!

Most of this thread has been about freeways and rural highways, and I don't think that's actually where the attention needs to be. On a purpose-built road designed for higher speeds, with no pedestrians at all, I don't see an issue with higher speeds. The problems that I've seen have involved dangerous driving at excessive speed on city streets where there are lots of pedestrians, bikes, and generally a high level of road users (and parking) of all types. See also: some recent proposals to ban right turn on red in San Francisco (which I think makes sense for a good part of the city, although maybe not all of it - again, because we have high pedestrian density and RTOR has led to dangerous or at least rage-inducing situations).

My prediction is that this will die at the statewide level but some local version may happen in certain places. And if localized, it would have to be camera / photo based rather than required hardware on the vehicle.

I suppose if you believe that speeding is a problem (I do, on many city streets), and you also believe that selective enforcement of speeding is a problem (I do, although definitely a debate), something like this is a logical conclusion because it takes the "selective" out of enforcement.

[sprjus4]

My prediction is that this will die at the statewide level but some local version may happen in certain places. And if localized, it would have to be camera / photo based rather than required hardware on the vehicle.

So, now we're talking about photo speed enforcement (speed cameras), not internal speed limiters.

[Max Rockatansky]

The state did authorize San Francisco to test pilot a speed enforcement program already. 

[Scott5114]

Frankly I'd be impressed if a state leg did the opposite: Prohibit all governors from all vehicles.

I mean, I've always wanted to tell the governor to take a hike, so I support any legislation requiring it as his only means of getting around.

Kind of sucks for the governors of large western states to be prohibited from all vehicles though. It's a long way from Carson City to Las Vegas.

[cockroachking]

Frankly I'd be impressed if a state leg did the opposite: Prohibit all governors from all vehicles.

I mean, I've always wanted to tell the governor to take a hike, so I support any legislation requiring it as his only means of getting around.

Kind of sucks for the governors of large western states to be prohibited from all vehicles though. It's a long way from Carson City to Las Vegas.

Well that's too bad, but it's a part of the job I guess. They better get a good pair of walking shoes...

[kphoger]

Does a bicycle count as a vehicle?

[SectorZ]

Frankly I'd be impressed if a state leg did the opposite: Prohibit all governors from all vehicles.

I mean, I've always wanted to tell the governor to take a hike, so I support any legislation requiring it as his only means of getting around.

Kind of sucks for the governors of large western states to be prohibited from all vehicles though. It's a long way from Carson City to Las Vegas.

That thought kept going to my mind too, thinking the wrong governor.

Mine can take the MBTA Red Line to work as she lives within walking distance of its northern terminus, but instead lets the staties drive her around in a Chevy Suburban.

[Brandon]

Does a bicycle count as a vehicle?

Yes.

[kphoger]

Does a bicycle count as a vehicle?

Yes.

Well, I suppose that's good.  Back when I used to get calls from India about my extended warranty's expiration, and they asked me what kind of vehicle I owned, I used to tell them it was a 2008 Mercedes-Benz Trailblazer.

[ZLoth]

Back when I used to get calls from India about my extended warranty's expiration, and they asked me what kind of vehicle I owned, I used to tell them it was a 2008 Mercedes-Benz Trailblazer.

Oh, you are evil. For those extended warranty calls, that's a good thing.

[kphoger]

Back when I used to get calls from India about my extended warranty's expiration, and they asked me what kind of vehicle I owned, I used to tell them it was a 2008 Mercedes-Benz Trailblazer.

Oh, you are evil. For those extended warranty calls, that's a good thing.

I also used to keep a slip of paper in my wallet with a phony name and address, so I could be consistent in giving them the wrong information.  (It's no longer in my wallet.  Hmm.  I probably removed it last time I traveled out of the country.)  Also a bogus Visa credit card number whose check digit worked out correctly but wasn't actually tied to any bank.

Before that, I once had a scammer convinced—after 20 minutes of stringing him along—that I owned a Disney Diners Club credit card.  He was amazed, but he actually believed it.  His "supervisor" didn't.

[Brandon]

Back when I used to get calls from India about my extended warranty's expiration, and they asked me what kind of vehicle I owned, I used to tell them it was a 2008 Mercedes-Benz Trailblazer.

Oh, you are evil. For those extended warranty calls, that's a good thing.

I also used to keep a slip of paper in my wallet with a phony name and address, so I could be consistent in giving them the wrong information.  (It's no longer in my wallet.  Hmm.  I probably removed it last time I traveled out of the country.)  Also a bogus Visa credit card number whose check digit worked out correctly but wasn't actually tied to any bank.

Before that, I once had a scammer convinced—after 20 minutes of stringing him along—that I owned a Disney Diners Club credit card.  He was amazed, but he actually believed it.  His "supervisor" didn't.

They're fun to string along, aren't they.  I've actually gotten them to the point where they cuss me out for having wasted their time.

[mgk920]

Back when I used to get calls from India about my extended warranty's expiration, and they asked me what kind of vehicle I owned, I used to tell them it was a 2008 Mercedes-Benz Trailblazer.

Oh, you are evil. For those extended warranty calls, that's a good thing.

I also used to keep a slip of paper in my wallet with a phony name and address, so I could be consistent in giving them the wrong information.  (It's no longer in my wallet.  Hmm.  I probably removed it last time I traveled out of the country.)  Also a bogus Visa credit card number whose check digit worked out correctly but wasn't actually tied to any bank.

Before that, I once had a scammer convinced—after 20 minutes of stringing him along—that I owned a Disney Diners Club credit card.  He was amazed, but he actually believed it.  His "supervisor" didn't.

They're fun to string along, aren't they.  I've actually gotten them to the point where they cuss me out for having wasted their time.

A few years ago I had some fun watching YT clips of foreign scammers being strung along for such rides and then having serious ransomeware being installed on their PCs.  Hilarious!

Mike