HB 2174 — Establishing accident risk zones.

H-3144.1H-2609.1 SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2174 State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session By House Local Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Klicker, Barnard, Stuebe, Schmidt, Connors, Eslick, and Barkis)Barkis READPrefiled FIRST12/19/25. TIME 01/28/26.

Read first time 01/12/26.

Referred to Committee on Local Government.

(1)(a) The legislative body of a county, city, or town, or the secretary of the department of transportation may create aan crashaccident preventionrisk zone within its jurisdiction by identifying public roads where there have been a multitude of collisionsaccidents that have caused serious injuries or fatalities to provide time for authorities to investigate and implement safety improvements in the designated areas.

A county, with the approval of a city or town, may designate aan crashaccident preventionrisk zone that includes roadways that include public roads within the county and city or town.

A(b) Prior to the final establishment of an accident risk zone, the department of transportation, county, city, or town maymust designatehold a crashpublic preventionhearing zonewhere thatmembers includesof roadwaysthe managedpublic bymay theview departmentand ofcomment transportationon witha themap approval of the departmentdesignated ofaccident transportation.risk zone.

The(2) departmentOnce ofan transportationaccident mayrisk designatezone ahas crashbeen preventiondesignated, zonethe onjurisdiction athat stateestablished highwaythe withoutzone or the approvaldepartment of atransportation county,must city,conduct oran town.engineering and traffic investigation p.

p.1 HB 2174 of the public roads in the zone to identify safety improvements, including adjustments to the speed limits.

1(3) SHBThe 2174Washington (b)state Priorpatrol toand thelocal finallaw establishmentenforcement ofagencies amust crashcoordinate preventionincreased zone,enforcement the department of transportation,traffic county,laws city,within or town must hold a public hearing where members of the publicaccident mayrisk viewzone andin comment on a mapmanner ofintended theto designatedreduce crashaccident preventionrisks. zone.

(2)(4)(a) OnceA person found to have committed any traffic infraction relating to speed restrictions or infraction associated with a crashvehicle preventioncollision in an accident risk zone hasshall beenbe designated,assessed thea jurisdictionmonetary thatpenalty establishedequal to twice the zonepenalty orassessed theunder departmentRCW of46.63.110, transportationso mustlong conductas ansigns engineeringstating andthat trafficpenalties investigationare doubled are posted notifying drivers of the publicincreased roadspenalties inon the zoneparticular toroadway identifyin safetythe improvements,accident includingrisk adjustmentszone towhere the speedtraffic limits.infraction occurred.

(3)(b) TheOne-half Washingtonof statethe patrolamount andof localpenalties lawthat enforcementhave agenciesbeen doubled for traffic infractions issued within the accident risk zone must coordinatebe increaseddeposited enforcementinto ofan trafficaccount lawscreated withinfor the crashaccident preventionrisk zone inthat amay mannerbe intendedused to reducepay accidentsfor the engineering and traffic investigation, creation and installation of road signs, safety improvements, and increased law enforcement presence in the crashaccident preventionrisk zone.

(4)(a)(5) AThe personaccident foundrisk to have committed any traffic infraction relating to speed restrictions in a crash prevention zone ormust infraction with a vehicle collision in a crash prevention zone shall be assesseddissolved aonce monetarysafety penaltyimprovements ofhave $73,been soimplemented. long as signs stating that penalties are increased are posted notifying drivers of the increased penalties on the particular roadway in the crash prevention zone where the traffic infraction occurred.

(b)Furthermore, $73the ofaccident therisk monetaryzone penaltiesmay forbe trafficdissolved infractionsat relatedthe todiscretion speedof restrictionsthe orcity, infractionscounty, withor adepartment vehicleof collisiontransportation issuedthat withincreated the crashzone, preventionat zonethe mustrecommendation beof depositedthe intodepartment anof accounttransportation createdto fora thecity crashor preventioncounty, zoneor thatby maya bepetition usedof to10 paypercent forof the engineeringproperty andowners, trafficresidents, investigation,or creationbusiness andowners installationwith ofproperty roadthat signs,abuts safetyor improvements,is andwithin increasedthe lawaccident enforcementrisk presencezone inthat is presented to the crashcity, preventioncounty, or department of transportation that created the zone.

ThisNEW accountSECTION. must be administered and maintained by the jurisdiction in which the infraction occurred.

(5) The crash prevention zone must be dissolved once safety improvements have been implemented.

Furthermore, the crash prevention zone may be dissolved at the discretion of the city, county, or department of transportation that created the zone, at the recommendation of the department of transportation to a city or county, or by a petition of 10 percent of the property owners, residents, or business owners with property that abuts or is within the crash prevention zone that is presented to the city, county, or department of transportation that created the zone.

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2 SHB 2174 NEW SECTION.

Cities and towns are authorized to establish crashaccident preventionrisk zones in accordance with section 1 of this act.

Counties are authorized to establish, acquire, develop, construct, and improve open space, park, recreation, and community facilities, public health and safety facilities, stormwater control facilities, and highways or any of them pursuant to the provisions of thisp. chapter within and without the cities and towns of the county and for such purposes have the power to acquire lands, buildings and other facilities by gift, grant, purchase, condemnation, lease, devise, and bequest, to construct, improve, or maintain buildings, structures, and facilities necessary for such purposes, and to use and develop for such purposes the air rights over and the subsurface rights under any highway.

2 HB 2174 this chapter within and without the cities and towns of the county and for such purposes have the power to acquire lands, buildings and other facilities by gift, grant, purchase, condemnation, lease, devise, and bequest, to construct, improve, or maintain buildings, structures, and facilities necessary for such purposes, and to use and develop for such purposes the air rights over and the subsurface rights under any highway.

Counties are authorized to establish crashaccident preventionrisk zones in accordance with section 1 of this act.

3 SHBHB 2174