SENIOR ASSEMBLY PROPOSAL NO. 39

INTRODUCED BY SENIOR ASSEMBLY MEMBER GODAGER

(COAUTHOR: SENIOR ASSEMBLY MEMBER LOH)
 

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AP 39: MOTOR VEHICLES: SMART THROTTLE TECHNOLOGY

UNDER EXISTING LAW, VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH VARIOUS REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO MOTOR VEHICLES. EXISTING LAW REQUIRES MOTOR VEHICLES IN CALIFORNIA TO BE EQUIPPED WITH A SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM AND A PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM.

THIS MEASURE WOULD MEMORIALIZE THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TO ENACT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD REQUIRE VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS, BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2012, TO EQUIP NEW MOTOR VEHICLES MANUFACTURED OR SOLD IN CALIFORNIA WITH SMART-THROTTLE TECHNOLOGY THAT ALLOWS A VEHICLE’S BRAKE PEDAL TO OVERRIDE THROTTLE INPUT FROM THE VEHICLE’S ACCELERATOR PEDAL.

VOTE: MAJORITY.

AP 39: RELATING TO VEHICLE SAFETY

WHEREAS, MANY MOTOR VEHICLES HAVE EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WHEN THE VEHICLE’S ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK OR WAS ACCIDENTALLY PRESSED SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL; AND

WHEREAS, MANY TOYOTA MOTOR VEHICLES HAVE EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WHEN AN UNSECURED OR INCOMPATIBLE FLOOR MAT INTERFERED WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CAUSING THE PEDAL TO BECOME TRAPPED NEAR THE FLOOR; AND

WHEREAS, MANY DRIVERS, ESPECIALLY SENIOR DRIVERS, HAVE BEEN CONCERNED AND FRIGHTENED BY THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION THAT SOME VEHICLES HAVE EXPERIENCED; AND

WHEREAS, SMART-THROTTLE TECHNOLOGY, ALSO KNOWN AS BRAKE OVERRIDE, ENABLES DRIVERS TO MITIGATE THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH UNINTENDED ACCELERATION BY ALLOWING DRIVERS TO QUICKLY BRING THEIR MOTOR VEHICLES TO A SAFE STOP BY DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDALS TO OVERRIDE ANY THROTTLE INPUT FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL; AND

WHEREAS, THE FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY ACT OF 2010 IS BEING CONSIDERED FOR ADOPTION BY CONGRESS AND WOULD REQUIRE ALL MOTOR VEHICLES TO BE EQUIPPED WITH BRAKE OVERRIDE SYSTEMS; AND

WHEREAS, MANY EUROPEAN MOTOR VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS AND SOME JAPANESE AND AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS EQUIP THEIR MOTOR VEHICLES WITH SMART-THROTTLE TECHNOLOGY; AND

WHEREAS, TOYOTA IS PLANNING TO INSTALL SMART-THROTTLE TECHNOLOGY IN MANY OF ITS VEHICLES FOR MODEL-YEAR 2011; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED, BY THE SENIOR ASSEMBLY AND THE SENIOR SENATE, JOINTLY, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AT ITS 2010 REGULAR SESSION, A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS VOTING THEREFORE, HEREBY PROPOSES THAT LEGISLATION BE ENACTED THAT WOULD REQUIRE, BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2012, ALL NEW MOTOR VEHICLES MANUFACTURED OR SOLD IN CALIFORNIA TO BE EQUIPPED WITH SMART-THROTTLE TECHNOLOGY; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA RESPECTFULLY MEMORIALIZES THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO ENACT APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE CONCERNS SET FORTH IN THIS MEASURE; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT A COPY OF THIS MEASURE BE TRANSMITTED TO THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE, AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

RN 10 13497

- 0 -