Accident risk zones

AN ACT Relating to establishing accident risk zones; amending RCW 1
36.89.030; adding a new section to chapter 46.61 RCW; adding a new 2
section to chapter 35.77 RCW; and prescribing penalties.3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 46.61 5
RCW to read as follows: 6
(1)(a) The legislative body of a county, city, or town, or the 7
secretary of the department of transportation may create an accident 8
risk zone identifying public roads where there have been a multitude 9
of accidents to provide time for authorities to investigate and 10
implement safety improvements in the designated areas. A county, with 11
the approval of a city or town, may designate an accident risk zone 12
that includes roadways that include public roads within the county 13
and city or town. 14
(b) Prior to the final establishment of an accident risk zone, 15
the department of transportation, county, city, or town must hold a 16
public hearing where members of the public may view and comment on a 17
map of the designated accident risk zone. 18
(2) Once an accident risk zone has been designated, the 19
jurisdiction that established the zone or the department of 20
transportation must conduct an engineering and traffic investigation 21
H-2609.1
HOUSE BILL 2174
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Klicker, Barnard, Stuebe, Schmidt, Connors,
Eslick, and Barkis
Prefiled 12/19/25. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Local Government.
p. 1 HB 2174
of the public roads in the zone to identify safety improvements, 1
including adjustments to the speed limits. 2
(3) The Washington state patrol and local law enforcement 3
agencies must coordinate increased enforcement of traffic laws within 4
the accident risk zone in a manner intended to reduce accident risks.5
(4)(a) A person found to have committed any traffic infraction 6
relating to speed restrictions or infraction associated with a 7
vehicle collision in an accident risk zone shall be assessed a 8
monetary penalty equal to twice the penalty assessed under 9
RCW 46.63.110, so long as signs stating that penalties are doubled 10
are posted notifying drivers of the increased penalties on the 11
particular roadway in the accident risk zone where the traffic 12
infraction occurred. 13
(b) One-half of the amount of penalties that have been doubled 14
for traffic infractions issued within the accident risk zone must be 15
deposited into an account created for the accident risk zone that may 16
be used to pay for the engineering and traffic investigation, 17
creation and installation of road signs, safety improvements, and 18
increased law enforcement presence in the accident risk zone.19
(5) The accident risk zone must be dissolved once safety 20
improvements have been implemented. Furthermore, the accident risk 21
zone may be dissolved at the discretion of the city, county, or 22
department of transportation that created the zone, at the 23
recommendation of the department of transportation to a city or 24
county, or by a petition of 10 percent of the property owners, 25
residents, or business owners with property that abuts or is within 26
the accident risk zone that is presented to the city, county, or 27
department of transportation that created the zone.28
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 35.77 29
RCW to read as follows: 30
Cities and towns are authorized to establish accident risk zones 31
in accordance with section 1 of this act. 32
Sec. 3. RCW 36.89.030 and 1984 c 7 s 42 are each amended to read 33
as follows: 34
Counties are authorized to establish, acquire, develop, 35
construct, and improve open space, park, recreation, and community 36
facilities, public health and safety facilities, stormwater control 37
facilities, and highways or any of them pursuant to the provisions of 38
p. 2 HB 2174
this chapter within and without the cities and towns of the county 1
and for such purposes have the power to acquire lands, buildings and 2
other facilities by gift, grant, purchase, condemnation, lease, 3
devise, and bequest, to construct, improve, or maintain buildings, 4
structures, and facilities necessary for such purposes, and to use 5
and develop for such purposes the air rights over and the subsurface 6
rights under any highway. The approval of the state department of 7
transportation shall be first secured for such use and development of 8
any state highway. For visual or sound buffer purposes the county 9
shall not acquire by condemnation less than an owner's entire 10
interest or right in the particular real property to be so acquired 11
if the owner objects to the taking of a lesser interest or right. 12
Counties are authorized to establish accident risk zones in 13
accordance with section 1 of this act.14
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p. 3 HB 2174