North Carolina House Judiciary Committee Advances Lifesaving SEATBELT Act
Families for Safe Streets Commends North Carolina House Judiciary Committee for Advancing Lifesaving SEATBELT Act
HB 1199 would hold the state’s most dangerous repeat offenders accountable, requiring proven speeders to use Intelligent Speed Assistance technology as a condition of regaining their license
RALEIGH, N.C. — Families for Safe Streets today commended the North Carolina House Judiciary Committee for advancing House Bill 1199, legislation that would hold the state’s most dangerous repeat speeding offenders accountable and keep North Carolina families safe on the road. The bill would require drivers who lose their license for serious offenses, including reckless driving, illegal street racing, and felony death by vehicle, to use Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology that works to prevent speeding as a condition of restoring their driving privileges.
ISA is proven, available technology that works to prevent a vehicle from exceeding the posted speed limit. It is applied only to drivers who have already demonstrated, through repeated or serious offenses, that they pose a danger to others on the road. The technology is used solely to support speed-limit compliance. The bill applies a narrow, named set of offense triggers rather than affecting drivers broadly.
“This legislation focuses on accountability where it matters most,” said Amy Cohen of Families for Safe Streets. “My son Sammy was killed by a speeding driver, and no family should have to endure that loss. Every day, five people are killed on North Carolina roads and hundreds more are seriously injured. These are preventable tragedies. HB 1199 targets the small group of repeat dangerous drivers whose actions put everyone else at risk and uses proven technology to stop preventable deaths before they happen.”
“My husband Matt was killed by a driver who had been caught driving on a suspended license 28 times before taking his life,” said Allison Simpson of Families for Safe Streets. “That failure of accountability is what this bill addresses. Suspended licenses alone are not enough. HB 1199 ensures that proven dangerous drivers cannot continue putting others at risk, and it gives families like mine a chance that Matt never had.”
“My mother, Joan Drake, was killed by a driver going 98 miles per hour,” said Ryan Moeller of Families for Safe Streets. “This bill is not about ordinary mistakes—it is about the worst offenders who repeatedly choose to endanger lives. ISA technology is a practical tool that prevents extreme speeding before it turns deadly. It also includes important safeguards around privacy and access, ensuring it is narrowly applied and fair.”
Tuesday’s committee action marks an important early step for HB 1199. Families for Safe Streets urges members of the General Assembly to continue advancing the bill as it moves through the legislative process. North Carolina joins a growing national movement to address dangerous speeding through targeted accountability measures. Nineteen states have considered Stop Super Speeders legislation this year, following successful enactment in Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Washington State, with additional legislation passed this year in Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, and New York.
** Crash victims/survivors from North Carolina are available for interviews **
About Families for Safe Streets
Families for Safe Streets is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending traffic violence by supporting victims’ families, educating communities, and advocating for safe streets policies that save lives.
Learn more at https://www.familiesforsafestreets.org/stop-super-speeders
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