As car lovers, we grew up dreaming of California as the proverbial “Mecca” of automotive culture. It’s the state where the car scene took off. And it did so, because people were free to express themselves. Lowriders bounced, muscle cars roared, and JDM engines were getting swapped before anyone else knew what JDM meant. And it was all set to the perfect backdrop of hills, canyons, coasts, and perfect climates. California was the land of innovation, rebellion, freedom, expression, and horsepower. If cars were a religion, California was the sacred ground.
But lately? It feels more like a battleground…
Ground zero for the coordinated genocide on car culture. It’s almost poetic really. The state that once fostered creative expression, now putting a muzzle on it.
The latest blow? Senate Bill 961…
Senate Bill 961 makes the speed alert law official. Starting with the 2030 model year, every new car sold in California will come with mandated speed alert systems. It’s a term that will likely be interchangeable with Intelligent Speed Assist. These systems will monitor your vehicle’s speed at all times. And like a disapproving mother-in-law, it will let you know when you’ve crossed the speed limit. “For your safety” of course.
On paper, this is packaged as a “safety device”…
But in reality – it’s another step toward stripping away our freedoms & the joy of driving. It’s about conforming, submission, obedience, data, and control. Let’s be honest, does anyone really want to be incessantly nagged (and perhaps in the future, FINED) by their own car for exceeding the speed limit? Speed limits that are set by the state & subject to change? Do you want to keep paying increasingly high/insane prices for a new vehicle, only to have it monitor, restrain, and narc on you? Do you think your insurance company won’t soon know how many times you exceeded the speed limit? Is any of this good for the automotive industry, travel, the economy, or your wallet? You’re essentially buying a $50,000+ shock-collar for yourself… ya’ll can see that right? Apparently not.
At this point, California is becoming a police state for everything…
And the frustrating part is: Whatever regulation comes out of California, tends to spread like wildfire. Today it’s California telling you to slow down. Tomorrow, it’s your state. It’s well past time to take the power & freedom back. The country used to look at California as an inspiration. Now, we look at them with irritation & disgust as they encroach on our freedoms.
Imagine cruising up the Pacific Coast Highway in your dream car. The sun is setting, the weather is gorgeous, the perfect song is playing, and you’re about to hit that beautiful stretch of open road when all the sudden… BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!! Your car tells you to REDUCE YOUR SPEED because you exceeded 55mph… a speed that an even Tesla rental car can hit in under 2 seconds. It continues to BEEP without pause. The BEEPS become louder. You let off the throttle frustrated… as the energy of the moment gets replaced with regulated irritation. Safety… or Overreach?
Look, no one’s arguing against safety…
Rather, we’re arguing FOR freedom, life, energy, expression, and the human spirit. There are more effective, less intrusive ways to approach safety. ‘For your safety’ has crossed a line in the modern age of America. It’s now being used as a means of control & monitoring. It might be a hard pill to swallow, but safety is largely a personal responsibility. Meaning – you have survival instincts & you’re largely in control over your own life & safety. Now – you shouldn’t have to live in eminent danger when you go out. However – when safety is overly pressed upon you by government… it blurs with oppression & control. Are farm animals safe in their pen – yeah. They’re safe but not free.
So how unfree are you willing to be… in order to be safe? And think carefully on that, because you’re also making the choice for your children & grandchildren. So where’s the line? Guess what folks – there is no line… it’s a noose that keeps tightening around your neck! You’d think the majority of California could see that by now.
The thing about driving is…
It’s a life-enriching experience if you let it be. The therapy & invigoration found behind the wheel is something California used to champion. But now, they cater to the lowest common denominator of incompetency. SPEED KILLS – that’s the narrative. It couldn’t possibly be anything else – like incompetency, or distractions with technology, or lack of training, or lack of IQ, or substance abuse, or poor vehicle maintenance. Nope couldn’t be any of that. Work the problem California (hint-hint the problem is you). Crawling along at 55mph in a state as beautiful & massive as California… feels like pure torture. Senate Bill 961 does not guarantee safety… it only guarantees annoyance.
The joys of driving are being eroded one law at a time…
And America’s attraction to the automobile (as well as personalizing/customizing them) is getting regulated to extinction. Death by 1,000 small cuts. Sure – you can still customize your car… so long as you don’t mind navigating through a labyrinth of emissions regulations, sound ordinances, and now speed alerts that nag you the whole way. Remember the guy in California who got pulled over & had his 4-cylinder Hyundai’s registration suspended for its completely stock exhaust system? Yeah – that actually happened. It’s astonishing, frustrating, and bewildering how far the state has fallen. And don’t even get me started on how all these California obstacles/regulations raise the costs for all of us across the country. You’re not just paying inflated prices for a new car – you’re paying for the privilege of being policed by it.
From a Mecca of art, expression, & creative freedom…
To a bureaucratic nightmare – that’s California. The state that used to set trends is now setting trends on how to suck (the fun out of driving). Senate Bill 961 is just the latest in a long line of regulations that take us further from freedom behind the wheel. But as disgraceful as it is, it’s important to remember: car culture doesn’t die because of stupid laws… it breaks them. Enthusiasts find a way. We may just have to be a little more… creative about it. Sincerely, a Texan living in Georgia who spends a lot of time in California.
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