The Virginia General Assembly has accepted Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s amendments to HB2096. This means Virginia is the first state to pass legislation requiring certain reckless drivers install speed limiting devices in their cars.
These speed limiters are called intelligent speed assistance. They use GPS and digitally mapped data to detect the speed limit at a driver’s precise location and cap their speed accordingly.
The bill says that individuals convicted of reckless driving would have to participate in the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program.
This program would be court-ordered for people convicted of reckless driving and found driving over 100 miles per hour. The DMV can also offer this program to drivers who accumulate a certain amount of demerit points. The speed limited device would be an alternative to a license suspension.
On April 2, the General Assembly approved Youngkin’s changes to the bill. The amendment states that the court can decide how long a driver will be required to use a speed limiting device.
Drivers will have to pay for the speed limiters and installation themselves. Tampering with the device would be a Class 1 misdemeanor.
HB2096 will go into effect on July 1, 2026.
Washington, DC, passed a similar program last year. The DC program will take effect in September.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com