Existing law regulates vehicles and prohibits vehicles from being equipped with certain equipment, including, among other things, a device that is designed for, or is capable of, jamming, scrambling, neutralizing, disabling, or interfering with radar, laser, or any other electronic device used by a law enforcement agency to measure the speed of moving objects. Existing law also prohibits vehicles from being equipped with a device that is specifically designed for, marketed for, or being used for, neutralizing, disabling, or otherwise interfering with a driver monitoring system that is engaged when drivers are utilizing advanced driver assistance system features or autonomous technology.

This bill would require the Department of General Services to establish a pilot program under which a subset of state-operated heavy duty vehicles within the state vehicle fleet are equipped with a direct driver monitoring system for at least 24 months. The bill would require the department to determine the number of state-operated heavy duty vehicles to be included in the pilot program, as specified, and, for at least the initial 24 months of the pilot program, collect and analyze data regarding the prevalence of distracted and drowsy driving events, the effectiveness of the direct driver monitoring system in mitigating these events, and any impact the direct driver monitoring system has on driver behavior. The bill would require the department to submit a report on the pilot program to the Legislature within 12 months of the completion of the initial 24-month period of the pilot program.