Speed limits are there to ensure the safety of all the users of the road. Repeat offenders that break the speed limit or drive recklessly in Washington state will now have to install a device that limits their speed by using the car’s GPS signal to track the individual’s speed. Many countries around the world have had an “electronic nanny” that limit any car for sale to 155mph, regardless of the top speed of the car. The United States have a lot of bureaucracy in place that make any changes to laws a challenge that can take years. This new law has good intentions, but we question the reactive nature of the US lawmakers.
Is the new law simply a case of too little, too late for the United States?
The United States has always been known as the international standard for the world’s lawmakers, or so we thought. It must be said that the United States is a very large country, and the laws in that country vary form state to state, again another thing that is unique about America. The American bureaucracy means that a law that is valid in one state, could be completely legal in another.
One thing the whole country agrees on is speed limits. Speeding cost the US economy $46 billion in 2019 and was a significant contributing factor in 12,151 deaths. Speeding accounts for around 29% of all traffic fatalities in the United States. The only thing worse than speeding is driving while intoxicated, accounting for 32% of all crash fatalities in the U.S.
A frustrating factor in all of this is the United States tendency to be more reactive than proactive. Meaning that the lawmakers in the individual states are slow to see the dangers and seem to only make changes after a disastrous incident that is brought into the public’s attention forces them to act. So the question is, have the United States fallen behind the rest of the world in ensuring safety on their roads? Some places in the US are not even car friendly.
What exactly does the new law mean for the drivers in the US capital?
This new law is aimed at making speeding more difficult or even impossible for repeat offenders. The law makes use of a GPS(Global Positioning Satellite) device that is fitted to the car to prevent the driver from speeding. The law comes after a tragic crash that happened in Washington that led to the death of 4 people. The BEAM act is named after the victims in that case.
The offender had been responsible for several other crashes in the months before the incident. Claiming at his trail that he was addicted to speed. A similar law was adopted for drivers who are convicted of DUI or driving while under the influence. Those drivers are required to blow into a breathalyzer before the engine will even start. Washington is expected to be safe place for the drivers of the capital.
The House Bill 1596 in the Washington State Legislature was voted on and garnered bipartisan support. The law was voted into existence and will bring the state’s speed limits into focus for the public. The tragic deaths that day are credited for a law that everyone else in the world has been using for some time now. People who drive recklessly or speed excessively need to be brought to justice.
Can the rest of the United States follow the example set in Washington?
While the rest of the world focuses on making the roads of the world less harmful to the environment, this new law makes the roads in the nations capital a little safer. It must be noted that the law will only come into effect in 2029, so whether we see more of the states in America adopt this law is yet to be determined. Or whether the law will even make a difference to those who are affected by speeding drivers everyday. The amount of people that break the speed limits is truly concerning. Could you answer the question of how often do you speed when driving?
