Iowa urged to curb "super speeders" with new tech
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Iowa is among the states where lawmakers are being asked to adopt a law calling for intelligent speed assistance — software that could help make habitual offenders obey speed limits.
Why it matters: Excessive speed is a leading cause of U.S. traffic deaths, and a tiny share of repeat offenders known as "super speeders" cause a disproportionate share of the harm.
How it works: Intelligent speed assistance (ISA) includes devices that prevent vehicles from speeding by either warning the driver or limiting the throttle.
- Lawmakers can determine many of the software's restrictions, including temporary overrides that may be helpful when passing other vehicles or using on-ramps, per model legislation promoted by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.
Driving the news: Families for Safe Streets, a New York-based advocacy group, is talking with lawmakers in hopes of getting legislation introduced this year, president Amy Cohen tells Axios.
- She started the group after her 12-year-old son was killed by a speeding van as he walked to soccer practice in 2013.
The intrigue: ISA has been used in Europe for years, and some studies there show it can reduce traffic deaths by up to 28%.
- It's relatively new in the U.S., but pilot programs in city fleets have found that it can reduce hard-braking incidents by more than a third.
State of play: Virginia, Washington state and the District of Columbia have enacted ISA legislation for problem speeders in the last two years.
- Bills have been introduced in at least 11 states this year, including Illinois, according to Families for Safe Streets.
Stunning stat: Speed-related crashes accounted for at least 26% of traffic deaths between 2014 and 2023, according to a December paper by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).
- That accounted for as many as 12,498 deaths a year.
- A 2023 study of drivers involved in fatal crashes showed that 20% had been involved in crashes in the previous five years, per NCSL.
Zoom in: Preliminary counts show 259 traffic deaths in Iowa last year, an all-time low and nearly 27% drop from the five-year average, according to data from the Iowa DOT.
- Speed was attributed to more than half of the fatalities in recent years.
Between the lines: Iowa's new handheld cellphone ban was linked to the recent drop in fatalities, WHO-13 reports.
What's next: ISA advocates will continue efforts to add Iowa to the list of states with pending legislation, Cohen said.