Beginning July 1, Virginia judges will have a new legal option for certain drivers convicted of serious speeding-related offenses.
Instead of automatically suspending a driver’s license in some cases, courts may require the driver to enroll in the new Intelligent Speed Assistance Program, also known as the ISA Program.
The law, passed by Virginia lawmakers in 2025, allows qualifying drivers to keep driving, but only with technology installed in their vehicles that limits their ability to exceed the speed limit.
How the ISA Technology Works
Drivers ordered into the program will have an ISA device installed in their vehicle.
The system uses GPS technology to detect the speed limit on the road where the vehicle is being driven. It then prevents the vehicle from traveling above that posted limit.
AAA Club Alliance spokesperson Morgan Dean said the technology can allow brief exceptions, such as when a driver needs to pass another vehicle. In those situations, the vehicle may be allowed to go above the limit for a short time before the speed limiter activates again.
Dean said the program is designed to help change the behavior of drivers who repeatedly speed on Virginia roads.
Who May Be Ordered Into the Program
Under the law, courts may require enrollment in the ISA Program for drivers convicted of reckless driving.
That includes driving too fast for road or traffic conditions, driving 20 mph or more above the posted speed limit, or driving faster than 85 mph, regardless of the posted limit.
In those cases, judges may choose ISA enrollment instead of suspending the person’s driver’s license.
The device must be installed on all vehicles owned or registered to the driver, and the driver is not allowed to operate other vehicles during the enrollment period.
Participation can last from 60 days to six months.
Mandatory Enrollment for Speeds Over 100 MPH
The law uses stricter language for drivers convicted of reckless driving while traveling over 100 mph.
In those cases, courts are required to order enrollment in the ISA Program, rather than simply having the option.
Other Drivers Who May Be Enrolled
The program can also apply to people convicted four times for racing or exhibition driving violations.
For those drivers, enrollment is set at five years.
Drivers who accumulate 18 demerit points on their license within 12 months may also be ordered into the program for nine months.
Virginia First State to Enact This Type of Law
Jessica Cicchino, senior vice president of Behavior and Infrastructure Research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, said Virginia is the first state in the country to pass this kind of law.
She said similar technology has already been used successfully in vehicle fleets and in other countries to control driver speeds.
Cicchino said the technology could be especially useful for drivers who pose the greatest danger on the road because, once installed, the device prevents them from speeding.
Speeding Remains a Major Issue in Virginia
Virginia State Police data shows troopers continue to encounter large numbers of speeding drivers.
In 2025, troopers issued 31,622 summonses, wrote 2,227 warnings, and made 611 arrests, for a total of 34,460 speeding-related encounters.
In 2024, the total was 40,266, including 37,324 summonses, 2,286 warnings, and 656 arrests.
In 2023, troopers recorded 39,981 encounters, including 37,041 summonses, 2,381 warnings, and 559 arrests.
Safety Advocates Hope Deaths Decline
Safety advocates hope the ISA Program will help reduce speeding violations and speed-related fatalities.
Dean said speed played a role in a large share of Virginia traffic deaths. In 2024, there were 918 total traffic deaths in the Commonwealth, and 410 of them involved speed.
That means nearly half of all traffic deaths in Virginia that year were connected to speeding.
Tampering With Device Is a Crime
The law also includes penalties for drivers who try to interfere with the ISA device.
Anyone who tampers with or attempts to bypass the installed technology can be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Virginia’s new Intelligent Speed Assistance Program gives judges another tool to address dangerous speeding while allowing some convicted drivers to keep their licenses. By using GPS-based technology to limit vehicles to posted speed limits, the program aims to reduce repeat speeding, improve road safety and lower speed-related deaths across the state.