(MENAFN- EIN Presswire)
Joe Martinez, whose son was killed in a crash, urges Governor Newsom to sign first-in-nation vehicle safety bill
SB 961 would require a safety feature called passive 'Intelligent Speed Assistance' in all cars and trucks manufactured or sold in California
If people think it doesn't matter when they speed,” said Martinez.“They should know that a speeding driver took my precious boy from me.” - Joe MartinezSAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, September 23, 2024 /EINPresswire / -- Press Contact
Thomas DeVito
...
When Joe Martinez of Fresno, California answered his phone late one night, it was the call that every parent fears getting.
“My son Paul's cousin was screaming into the phone that Paul had been hit,” said Martinez. By the time Martinez reached the hospital, Paul had died.
Paul, an artist and basketball player known for helping friends in tough times, was just 21. He had been walking on the main street of Fresno when a driver going 54 MPH in a 40 MPH hit him.
“If people think it doesn't matter when they speed,” said Martinez.“They should know that a speeding driver took my precious boy from me.”
Speeding is the #1 cause of severe and fatal crashes in California, killing more than 1,000 people each year and injuring tens of thousands of people.
But if Governor Gavin Newsom signs Senate Bill 961 by the end of September, that could start to change.
SB 961 would require a safety feature called passive 'Intelligent Speed Assistance' in all cars and trucks manufactured or sold in California (except emergency vehicles and motorcycles). Starting in 2030, vehicles would give drivers a single audio and visual alert when they're going more than 10 MPH above the speed limit. This is like the advanced driver assistance that tells a driver when there's a vehicle in their blind spot.
Like requirements for vehicles to have seatbelts and rear view cameras, Intelligent Speed Assistance is widely widely supported. Dozens of other local, statewide, and national health and safety organizations have joined together urging Governor Newsom to sign the bill, including the National Safety Council, MADD, the Children's Health Initiative, Physicians for Social Responsibility, America Walks, the Vision Zero Network, and Families for Safe Streets . Groups representing drivers, AAA of Southern California and AAA of Northern California, Nevada & Utah, are also supporting SB 961.
“MADD supports SB 961 because the linkage of substance-impaired driving behaviors like drunk and drugged driving with speeding is indisputable,” said Pat Rillera, MADD California Executive Director.
A recent survey by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that the majority of Americans support Intelligent Speed Assistance.
However, the automobile industry is opposing SB 961, arguing this isn't a state issue.“States have a long history in leading the way for stronger vehicle standards,” said Amy Cohen, co-founder of Families for Safe Streets who lost her 12-year-old son to a speeding driver.“In the 1960s, it was Wisconsin lawmakers who passed a state law requiring seat belts in vehicles sold in the state, which eventually led to a federal requirement. In 1966, California set vehicle emission standards that pushed the auto industry to start making a cleaner fleet, and federal emissions regulations were later adopted.”
Amy Cohen, Joe Martinez, and other members from Families for Safe Streets around the country have been sharing the stories of their spouses, siblings, children and parents who have been killed by speeding drivers. Lori Argumedo posted about the heartache of losing her niece Bethany in a 2019 crash on social media and her petition garnered over 4,000 signers in only a few days.
California State Senator Scott Wiener, who authored SB 961, stated,“California should lead the nation with action to improve the safety of our streets.”
“Speeding kills, again and again,” said Joe Martinez.“People like me who have lost loved ones to speeding drivers are begging Governor Newsom to sign this bill and save lives.”
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Thomas DeVito
Families for Safe Streets
+1 201-835-6900
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