Oh wow … I didn’t even know speed-limiting devices were a thing until now:
Washington Senate passes bill to require speed limiting devices for habitual speeders
My first awareness of this possibility was through our local paper’s daily poll today asking us/readers if we think habitual speeders should be forced to install a speed-limiting device in their vehicles. I’m surprised (pleasantly) to read this has already cleared the state senate and looks good for being put into law by the end of the year.
It shouldn’t be surprising that the technology exists for this; the movie Speed came out in 1994, so thirty years later we should easily be able to implement something similar in reverse, right?
Of course some compelling arguments can be made against mandating the devices. I imagine they could be pretty costly, and that there are probably a number of ways people could circumvent the restrictions (just by driving other people’s cars, for example). But people figure out ways around ankle bracelets and breathalyzer ignition interlock devices, and those are still considered effective and worth it (though ankle monitors are so costly as to be counterproductive and pretty terrible to the point of their use warranting a lot of criticism and reconsideration, it seems).
Another argument against them, I think, is that a lot of dangerous reckless driving resulting in accidents happens at relatively low speeds without coming close to breaking the speed limit (example: pulling out from a stop in front of moving traffic, passing people on the right, failing to yield to pedestrians, failing to stop at red lights and stop signs, etc.). While that’s not a good reason to oppose limiting people’s speeds, it might wind up creating statistical opportunities after implementation to say that the devices failed to substantially reduce traffic accidents and casualties enough to warrant the continued expense and problems associated with employing them.
I’ve gotten more extreme and conservative in my views of shitty, dangerous, aggressive, and inconsiderate drivers and what I think should be done with them in the years since pandemic, so I’m pretty much ALL FOR throwing up as many obstacles as possible to them getting behind the wheel of any moving vehicle. I don’t care if it’s a riding lawnmower; these people are grossly blind to risk and/or assume super-costly and life-threatening risk on other people’s behalves with their insane driving choices. I’m for almost-anything to punish and STOP their dumb selfish asses.
If the costs of having their insurance go way way up, of potentially (and often actually) hurting themselves and/or others, of making asses and/or villains of themselves, and of wrecking and having to replace their vehicles doesn’t change their behavior (often times IT DOESN’T; they KEEP DOING IT), then YES — let’s use technology to cock block them from attaining speedy thrills, and make it cost a bunch of money on top of it. I hope it takes them right off the fucking roads and/or sends them to a doctor for some spironolactone and/or beta blockers.