It’s no secret that speeding is a leading contributor to roadway fatalities in the United States, but according to a Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) release, California “consistently ranks among states with the highest number of speed-related crashes — including second in the nation (after Texas) in 2023.”
Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology has emerged as a solution aimed at mitigating this issue by notifying drivers of speed limits (through auditory, visual, or haptic feedback) and, in some cases, intervening and lowering the speed to the posted speed limit through pedal resistance, temporary deceleration, and power limitations (although the latter is not widespread).
New MTI research, “A Holistic Inquiry of Intelligent Speed-Assist Technology: Safety Impacts, Technology Implementation, and Challenges,” presents a comprehensive investigation into the safety benefits of ISA systems, implementation challenges, and public perception, with a focus on California drivers, which can also include transportation operators.
Public Perception and Trust in Intelligent Speed Assistance
This study’s multi-method approach, which included a large-scale quantitative analysis of over two million consumer complaints and nearly 300,000 recall records from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), found that:
Keyword analysis of NHTSA consumers revealed that issues related to speed control and ISA functionality were among the most reported, with the most frequently occurring terms being “speed” (71,631 mentions), “engine” (28,923 mentions), and “brake” (27,499 mentions), suggesting widespread user concerns around unintended acceleration, loss of control, and inadequate responses to driver input.
Among 286 surveyed California drivers, over half recognized the potential safety benefits of ISA, but 55% were also concerned about loss of control, 53% about system malfunction, and 37% about privacy concerns.
Survey results indicated that 62% of respondents believed ISA would reduce their speeding behavior.
Drivers showed a strong preference for advisory or supportive ISA systems that provide feedback without taking full control of vehicle speed (only 2% of respondents preferred “intervening” ISA; the remaining 98% preferred supportive and advisory options).
“Public trust in ISA systems hinges on transparent, ethical data practices,” the study’s authors said. “Nearly 80% of survey respondents reported at least some concern over data privacy. To remedy this, systems should avoid real-time transmissions of identifiable data unless anonymized and consent-based. Strong governance structures and accessible reports indicating what data is being collected and how it is used are also important.”
Overall, the findings suggest that ISA systems could effectively reduce speeding and enhance safety, but their success depends on thoughtful design, public trust, and supportive policy frameworks.
Outreach campaigns that help the public and transportation agencies understand what ISA is and how it works “will be a critical part of moving forward.” According to the release, sharing information about the benefits of ISA and how private data is protected during its use will build public trust and facilitate implementation.
Overall, as California and other states explore broader implementation, aligning driver preferences, technological capabilities, and regulatory structures will be crucial to realizing the full safety potential of ISA systems.
