Every year, over 40,000 people are killed in traffic crashes in the United States — and a third are because of speeding. How do we curb this epidemic and stop speeding?
During a recent webinar, panelists discussed how Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) can save lives and stop chronic reckless speeders — also known as “super speeders — and save lives. Families for Safe Streets, Vision Zero, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Institute for Safer Trucking, and America Walks co-hosted the webinar.
Adopting Intelligent Speed Assistance Saves Lives
America Walks Executive Director Mike McGinn opened the webinar, framing ISA as an innovative and mature technology and naming its long-standing reputation and recent requirement in all new vehicles in Europe.
That type of sweeping change — making ISA standard equipment in new vehicles — appears politically unlikely in the U.S. But ISA adoption at the state and local levels has proven to be a viable strategy to demonstrate effectiveness, build public acceptance of the technology, and make streets incrementally safer. New York City; Ventura County, California; and Somerville, Massachusetts have installed ISA in government-owned vehicles, and other places are considering the same (see our Safer Fleets Challenge). Virginia, Georgia, and Washington, D.C. have passed legislation that requires speed-limiting technology in the vehicles of drivers who have had their licenses suspended for egregious violation. These wins demonstrate the growing movement to stop super speeders and reduce traffic fatalities through ISA adoption.
Families for Safe Streets (FSS), a national movement with 20 chapters and a network of about 1,200 families, is at the forefront of this effort. The members of Families for Safe Streets have been impacted directly by traffic violence, either having lost a loved one or survived with a serious injury.
Patty Avery, FSS Co-Chair of the Policy and Advocacy Committee and moderator of the webinar panel discussion, said she became a member of “this horrible club” when a speeding driver caused a crash that killed her daughter Bethany. “Whether we are pedestrians, bicyclists, or motorists,” she said, “the chances that our bodies will be grievously or fatally injured by a moving vehicle are governed in large part by speed.”
Earlier this year, Virginia became the first state to permit judges to order reckless drivers convicted of speeding over 100 miles per hour to install ISA in their vehicles. “If we take speeding out of the equation, we can save lives,” said Delegate Patrick Hope (VA-47) of the Virginia House of Delegates, who chairs the Virginia House Courts of Justice Committee that oversees policies for civil and criminal laws. Delegate Hope introduced the bill that became law earlier this year and will be effective as of July 2026. He mentioned that ISA gives judges an extra tool — beyond fines, licenses suspensions, and jail time — to ensure that repeat offenders are off the roads. The next step, according to Delegate Hope, is educating judges. He hopes that this measure will light the way for other states considering legislation to curb speeding.
Representing the Commission on the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program (VASAP), Special Programs Coordinator Chris Morris and Special Programs Design Technician Rosario Carrasquillo talked about how the technology works. VASAP is the state legislative agency that oversees the ignition interlock program for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia is implementing an ISA technology that limits and alerts vehicle operators to changes in speed but doesn’t break the vehicle. It simply won’t let the driver accelerate until they exit a lower-speed zone.
Also joining the panel was Road Safety Advisor for Together for Safer Roads Eric Richardson. As former Deputy Chief Fleet Management Officer for the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services, Eric led and managed the city’s program to pilot ISA in municipally-owned vehicles. He noted that speed-limiting technology is becoming a mainstream topic in the transportation world. Eric also worked with the State of California in the effort to pass its own ISA bill, which the governor ultimately vetoed. He spoke to the broader road safety benefit of the technology that became apparent during the New York City pilot: a change in speeding behavior, even among the control group, which did not have ISA installed on their vehicles.
From the Montgomery Police Department in Maryland, Sergeant Patrick Kepp joined the panel to share his own story. While attempting to stop a repeat reckless driver in 2023, Sgt. Kepp was intentionally struck at an excess of 160 miles per hour. He was severely injured, and both of his legs were amputated. Today he stands with advocates against reckless driving as a survivor and a member of law enforcement.
Sgt. Kepp compares ISA to the ignition interlock system used in cases of driving while under the influence or intoxicated. ISA reduces the rate of recidivism, especially since fines, points, or license suspensions typically don’t deter repeat offenders. Sgt. Kepp also spoke to the role of advocates in communicating with legislators to prioritize life-saving interventions such as ISA.
Tasha Hairston Springs, Road Safety Educator and CEO and Founder of Mindfully Aware Driving Solutions, reflected on her own experience. “I never thought it would happen to me. I never thought that texting and driving would affect my life the way it has.” As a former “habitual speeder,” she recounted a crash she caused while texting while speeding. Her SUV partially flipped, and she injured two other people as well as herself. Now Tasha bravely shares her journey as an ambassador with Families for Safe Streets to “wak[e] people up to get them to stop driving distracted.” She hopes to implement speed-limiting technology in North Carolina, where she is located, and believes it will change the culture and behavior around driving.
Answering Questions about Cost, Education, and Advocacy
During the Q and A, panelists responded to questions from the audience regarding the affordability, enforcement, and other benefits. Rosario explained that if affordability is an issue, there are options for payment plans under the new Virginia legislation. While there are installation and monitoring fees, removal comes at no cost to the client. There also is a no-cost education component aimed at shifting driver behavior and provisions for those who are lower-income. When compared to the cost of a suspended license, the fees — including potential ride-share costs, loss of employment, food and grocery delivery, and jail time — come out in favor of ISA. Additionally, those who had the devices installed witnessed a reduction in fuel cost due to slower, more gradual deceleration.
Tasha brought up the importance of education, such as her Mindfully Aware Driving Solutions 21-day educational program. The program complements ISA technology to help drivers understand the “human factor” of speeding and the devastation it can cause.
The panelists also discussed the role of community engagement and advocacy in implementing legislation for ISA. Delegate Hope noted that the use of speed-limiting technology to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities is a bipartisan issue. He recommends starting by contacting state legislators, including transportation committees and organizations. Sgt. Kepp said to consider law enforcement as a key partner in advocacy for ISA regulation as well.
Finally, stories are at the heart of successful advocacy — people sharing their stories about how if this tech had been used, the outcome could have been different. Advocacy groups instilling confidence that this technology and legislation will be successful in saving lives. These efforts are necessary to build a growing movement that seeks to address the epidemic of traffic fatalities in the U.S.
Join Families for Safe Streets on June 24, 2025 at 2 p.m. EST for a workshop that will dive into ISA, how to build legislation around speed-limiting technology, and what advocates can do to get this rolling in their states and communities. Register here.
