Speed Kills: Senator Stern’s 1509 cracks down on speeding and heads to the Governor’s desk.
SACRAMENTO, CA (08/29/24)- Today, Senator Stern’s SB 1509 “The NOT in California Act,” aimed at cracking down on extreme speeding in the state passed through the Senate floor with bipartisan support. The bill increases accountability for driving at dangerous speeds by assigning two points for repeat offenses of excessive speeding that occur within three years and creates a graduated fine schedule based on the number of violations within a year. The bill made it out of the Senate 36-1 and is on its way to the Governor's desk.
Author of the bill, Senator Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles) expressed his commitment to road safety as the motivation behind the legislation, "SB 1509 represents a vital step forward in ensuring the safety of our roadways by holding negligent drivers accountable for their actions, we can prevent unnecessary loss of life and make our streets safer for all Californians."
The urgency of SB 1509 cannot be overstated, as recent tragic events across California underscore the pressing need for measures to address reckless driving behaviors. In 2023, the city of Los Angeles alone saw a 20-year high of 336 traffic deaths. Annually, the state continues to see an increase in traffic deaths. In 2020, 1,288 Californians died in speed-related collisions. The numbers are not yet complete for 2023, but if they mirrored the first six months of the year, we’re looking at over 4,000 Californians lost to traffic collisions. For the last four years, 30% of the state's collisions have been speed-related.
Co-author Senator Roger Niello (R-Sacramento) stated, “Speeding and reckless driving have reached untenable levels post-pandemic. We must do more to hold this dangerous activity liable. SB 1509 will provide for that needed accountability.”
Victims’ advocates Lili Trujillo-Pluckett, founder of Street Racing Kills and Lori Agumedo, Community Relations for the same organizations both lost loved ones in street racing disasters.
“In 2013, speed shattered my world in seconds! It robbed my 16-year-old daughter of her life and her future, leaving behind family and friends heartbroken and devastated,” said Trujillo-Pluckett. “In the blink of an eye, speed can steal everything, leaving only memories to mourn. SB1509 can reduce speed-related crashes and prevent a parent from losing a child.”
Lori lost her niece in a street racing incident just 6 years after Lili, a traumatic bond they will forever share. “Over the past 5 years I have shared Bethany’s store with the youth and our communities with the intent of preventing this from happening to another family. Reckless driving is 100 percent preventable and no one should lose their life in such a tragic way,” said Agumedo.
Damian Kevitt, Executive Director of Streets Are For Everyone, is a victim of reckless driving and is sure 1509 will save lives, "California is facing a serious public health crisis on our roads due to traffic violence,” Kevitt remarked. “Drivers going well over speed limits, especially in school zones or shopping districts, pose a significant threat to public safety. The bill is the least we can do to rein in irresponsible and reckless drivers who blatantly disregard the safety of others around them."
SB 1509 Overview: Fact sheet attached
To watch the floor speech: