The Arizona House Judiciary Committee advanced a bill Wednesday that would allow for courts to order speed suppression devices for the cars of drivers convicted of excessive speeding or racing.
Rather than having their license revoked or suspended, offenders would have the choice to drive with a speed inhibitor that would prevent them from exceeding the speed limit.
The speed inhibitor technology uses GPS data to cap the speed of the car based on the speed limit of the area.
The bill specifies that the length of the speed inhibitor would depend on the severity of the offense. The offenders would be responsible for paying the cost of the inhibitor and its installation, but also have the freedom to decide whether they want to implement it or have their license revoked.
Kevin De Menna, a representative for the Intelligent Speed Assistance Coalition, stressed that the device is an option, not an order.
“The most important thing to emphasize at this point is that this is an option,” De Menna said. “If you have been in a situation where you are facing a revocation of your license, you can simply proceed with the revocation. You don’t need to have this installed on your car. It wouldn't be a mandate, it would be an option.”
De Menna also addressed those who may rely on their vehicles for work, citing the benefits of the device.
“For those on limited incomes or simply dependent on their job, the ability to get there and back is critical, so this fills that void,” De Menna said. “The idea is to give drivers an option.”
House Republican Quang Nguyen sponsored the bill and spoke about an emergency feature that would allow drivers to override the suppression system on a limited basis.
“Between having my driver’s license revoked and to be able to drive the speed limit, and you do have a 1-minute override in terms of emergency passing or whatever the situation is on the right side of the road. I think this is great," Nguyen said.
Speed was cited as a major factor in a third of traffic fatalities in Arizona in 2023. Currently, more than 2,500 Arizona drivers have their license suspended or revoked.
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