Home › Private: Forums › NMA Legislative Alerts › Immediate Attention: Contact Governor Gavin Newsom TODAY about AB43–the Traffic Safety Bill

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    • 27/09/2021 at 3:22 pm #176833093
      Shelia at NMA
      Participant

      Dear California NMA Members,

      AB43 is a “hair on fire” situation. The bill, generically titled “Traffic Safety,” was passed by the state Senate and Assembly earlier this month by votes of 30 to 5 and 68 to 5 respectively, with a few abstentions in both chambers. AB43 was forwarded to Governor Newsom on September 17th and is awaiting his action. That’s why the urgency. (Please send this out to family and friends as well).

      Members should email their opposition to the bill to:

      Governor Gavin Newsom

      c/o Ronda.Paschal@gov.ca.gov–Deputy Legislative Secretary

      The main issue is that the bill would reverse nearly 100 years of California speed limits being based on fact-based engineering by allowing the lowering of limits without any particular rationale. By disregarding proven traffic engineering standards and posting unrealistic limits, many more drivers traveling at conventional, safe speeds will be stopped and ticketed for noncompliance. Police and community relations will be poorly served by a dramatic increase in traffic stops that serves no safety purpose. Speed traps will become much more prevalent.

      The forced lowering of speed limits will also create a surge in traffic accidents. Most drivers obey their instincts of what is a safe rate of travel on a particular road. That’s why the prevailing methodology for setting the safest speed limit is based on the prevailing behavior of 85 percent of drivers. Studies have shown repeatedly that the 85th percentile rule for establishing speed limits minimizes crashes. By reducing speed limits below those levels, there will be a wider variance of driving speeds on the road, some obeying the new numbers on the speed limit signs and more following natural driving patterns. The result will be more vehicular interactions between regular and slower drivers, creating the conditions for more crashes.

      Write from your own perspective, which will give a much more impactful statement to the governor.  We urge you to do it today!

      Thank you for your support of motorists’ rights in California.

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