A New York state senator has introduced legislation that would require automakers to retrofit speed limiting technology into new cars manufactured after January 1, 2024. The bill, sponsored by State Sen. Brad Hoylman, would require vehicles to be equipped with advanced safety technology.

That includes 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). The law would also establish standards of 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.

The bill has been introduced in the Senate Rules Committee.

The legislation comes on the heels of an announcement by New York City Mayor Eric Adams about a pilot program that included the installation of ISA technology in 50 city vehicles from nine agencies amid a rise in traffic fatalities in the city. The Department of Citywide Administrative Services plans to expand the initiative next year.

ISA technology is now mandatory on new models of vehicles sold in the European Union.

How Does the Technology Work?

There are two modalities of ISA technology: active and passive, according to a press release from the City of New York. With the active system, if the operator of a fleet vehicle attempts to drive over the local speed limit, the technology will activate and slow the vehicle down automatically. The passive system alerts the driver when they are driving above the speed limit.