New Law Could Mandate Installing Speed Limiters On Cars - Here's Why

Deaths from traffic accidents caused by speeding kill an average of 32 people across the United States every day, according to 2023 data from the National Safety Council. It's a sad statistic, but now lawmakers in Wisconsin are looking to improve this in the hopes of saving lives and protecting people from injuries caused by someone who is speeding. This law would require some drivers to install speed-limiting devices on their cars.

State lawmakers introduced a bill on October 23, 2025, to help make roads safer via speed limiter devices in cars. They would only apply to people who have had at least two reckless driving convictions within a five-year timespan, who would have these devices installed in their car for a year. The point of this law would be to hold accountable the people who have proven to be consistently irresponsible on the road and a danger to others, limiting their speeding to no more than 20 miles over the posted limit, which is still quite fast.

A device like this would not only limit the abilities of dangerous drivers but also incentivize them to drive more safely all around. It brings to mind the fact that using an app to track driving results in people driving more safely. Though there are many in favor of this bill, others feel that it isn't the right choice.

Wisconsin has solid reasons to take action against reckless drivers. According to a 2025 report from LendingTree, Wisconsin is the fifth state with the most speed-related incidents and 15th in terms of all driving incidents. The drivers must pay for the installation and maintenance of the speed limiter device for the year it is active. That cost could add up to $1,700 across that year. Assistance could be granted for those who struggle to afford it. If the driver messes with or removes the device, they face consequences in fines or jail time.

The bill was introduced by Senator Chris Larson and Representative Russell Goodwin. Senator Larson is a local to the Milwaukee area, advocating for progressive causes in the past, including women's rights and fighting climate change. Representative Goodwin is another Milwaukee local with a background in private law enforcement. Note that the bill they proposed is only being discussed at the point of this writing and is not law. 

It's certainly not uncommon for the average driver to speed a bit while on the road; even Google Maps has a feature telling drivers about police ahead, so you can pay extra attention to it. No one, though, wants to suffer from a lifelong injury or lose their life because of someone else's repeated dangerous speeding behavior.

Those who are for this bill being signed into law reference the data in terms of how speeding has resulted in vehicle crashes, believing this will make the roads safer for everyone. This would not unfairly target safe drivers and would only be applicable to those who have already been given two chances to improve. It also avoids just dumping someone into jail for dangerous driving, allowing them to keep their independence while still facing consequences for their actions.

Those who are against it are concerned about the cost, regardless of the financial assistance being offered to those below the poverty line. Opponents to the bill feel it infringes on a person's right to privacy, and that installing more speed cameras would be a better solution. They also feel that sometimes, in an emergency, someone may need to speed. In such cases, the driver would be able to speed at most 20 miles per hour over the limit that the device is programmed to allow.

For this Wisconsin bill, those who are historically safe drivers won't have anything change on their end except for perhaps a safer road, which can certainly be helped by people not using Tesla's Mad Max speeding mode. For those who have been continually convicted of reckless driving, though, this new device may be in your future.