Virginia will soon lead the nation in enforcing vehicle speed control, after Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a bill allowing judges to force drivers convicted of going over 100 miles per hour to install speed-limiting devices in their vehicles.
Youngkin signed the bill in late March to go into effect in July 2026.
The bill, introduced by Del. Patrick Hope (D-Arlington), proposed that courts require convicted drivers to install Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) systems in their vehicles, rather than solely relying on license suspension or jail time, punishments Hope called largely ineffective.
“It's a punishment that people frequently ignore because they have no other way of getting to work or the store or taking their children to school,” the Washington Post reported.
The law will apply only to drivers found guilty of reckless driving offenses. It also stipulates that those drivers must bear the cost of installing the ISA systems, which may vary in complexity.
While the Virginia bill does not specify which technology must be used, its reference to an “Intelligent Speed Assistance Program” implies the likely use of GPS-based systems that can automatically cap a vehicle’s speed based on posted limits. New York City implemented a similar system in its municipal vehicles in 2022.
Less sophisticated options, such as mechanical throttling devices, have limited effectiveness, especially in areas with varying speed zones. In contrast, GPS-based limiters can dynamically adjust speed thresholds according to location.
Though Virginia is the first state to enact such legislation, it's not the first to consider it. Washington state and Washington, D.C., have passed or proposed similar measures, though D.C.’s won’t take effect until September. California attempted a comparable initiative last year, which ultimately failed.
The European Union already requires new cars to issue speed warnings when drivers exceed legal limits. As a result, many vehicles in the U.S. already contain dormant ISA technology due to manufacturing uniformity across markets.
