Committee refers SB 618 on "super‑speeders" to interim study after survivor and expert testimony

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to refer Senate Bill 618, a proposal targeting extreme and repeat speeding, to interim study with the Traffic Safety Commission.

Sponsor Senator Denise Ricciardi told the committee she filed SB 618 to begin a discussion about extreme speeding and the rising number of high‑speed crashes. "This bill is intentionally focused on a small high‑risk group," Ricciardi said, and she recommended the Traffic Safety Commission study crash data, enforcement patterns and implementation implications before the Legislature adopts a new penalty tier.

Survivors and advocates urged action. Jeff Rogers, who identified himself as a crash survivor from Manchester, described a 2015 high‑speed collision that left him in a medically induced coma and with extensive rehabilitation costs. "My traumatic brain injury led to a medically induced coma for 10 days," Rogers told the committee, and he said he supports SB 618 as a life‑saving measure.

Technical witnesses, including Gary Catapano (Safer First Consulting) and the Bike Walk Alliance, presented data and technology options — including intelligent speed adaptation and other fleet interventions — and emphasized that penalties should be carefully tailored to avoid unintended consequences to courts, DMV workloads and enforcement capacity.

During questioning, senators sought precise statutory definitions (for example, what qualifies as "excessive" or "egregious" speeding), discussed graduated licensing for younger drivers, and raised cross‑border enforcement concerns for non‑resident racers. Given those open questions, the committee voted to place SB 618 into interim study rather than take immediate action.

Next steps: The referral sends SB 618 to the Traffic Safety Commission for additional study and stakeholder input. The committee’s motion for interim study passed by voice vote; the hearing transcript does not show a roll‑call tally.