OLYMPIA — A bipartisan bill increasing penalties for some repeat traffic offenses passed the Senate on a 48-1 vote Monday.
With traffic deaths at a 33-year high, the legislation, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds), aims to reduce fatalities by doubling penalties for drivers who repeat the same offense within a two-year period. The bill focuses on behaviors most associated with traffic deaths and serious injury crashes, such as speeding or not wearing a seat belt.
Liias introduced the bill after learning during a ride-along with Washington State Patrol (WSP) Trooper Blake Goetsch that not all second or subsequent infractions result in drivers paying higher penalties.
“With traffic deaths on our highways at a record high, we must do more to make Washington’s roads safer for everyone,” Liias said. “This bill will hold repeat traffic offenders accountable and lead to the behavior change that will avoid crashes and save lives.”
From 2021 to 2024, WSP reported more than 4,300 repeat offenses of the infractions targeted in the bill. Speeding more than 10 mph over the limit and not wearing a seat belt were the top infractions, accounting for 83% of repeat offenses.
During a Senate Transportation Committee work session on reducing repeat traffic offenses, Goetsch said education is effective for deterring unsafe driving behaviors on the road, but it does not always help prevent repeat violations.
“We do try to bring that lowest level of enforcement first,” Goetsch said. “But if it doesn’t get the response that we’re looking for and our collisions keep going up, or if that abstract driver record of the driver keeps getting longer like a CVS receipt, then we have to move on to different options, and having more tools that we can use would be extremely helpful to us.”
The bill now moves to the House for consideration. Follow its progress here.