SB 6066 — Establishing accident risk zones.

S-4266.1S-3815.1 SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6066 State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session By Senate Local Government (originally sponsored by Senators Torres, Dozier, and J.

Wilson)Wilson READPrefiled FIRST01/09/26. TIME 01/23/26.

ANRead ACTfirst Relatingtime to01/12/26. establishing crash prevention zones;

Referred to Committee on Local Government.

AN ACT Relating to establishing accident risk zones;

(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 thatto haveprovide causedtime seriousfor injuriesauthorities orto fatalities.investigate and implement safety improvements in the designated areas.

A county, city,with orthe townapproval orof thea departmentcity ofor transportationtown, may considerdesignate andan implementaccident safetyrisk improvementzone approachesthat inincludes designatedroadways crashthat preventioninclude zones.public roads within the county and city or town.

A(b) county,Prior withto the approvalfinal establishment of aan cityaccident orrisk town,zone, maythe designatedepartment aof crashtransportation, preventioncounty, zonecity, thator includestown must hold a public roadshearing withinwhere members of the countypublic may view and citycomment oron town.a map of the designated accident risk zone.

A(2) county,Once city,an oraccident townrisk mayzone designatehas abeen crashdesignated, preventionthe zonejurisdiction that includesestablished roadwaysthe managedzone byor the department of transportation withmust theconduct approvalan ofengineering theand departmenttraffic ofinvestigation transportation.p.

The1 departmentSB 6066 of transportationthe maypublic designateroads ain crashthe prevention zone onto aidentify statesafety highwayimprovements, withoutincluding theadjustments approvalto ofthe aspeed county,limits. city, or town.

p.(3) The Washington state patrol and local law enforcement agencies must coordinate increased enforcement of traffic laws within the accident risk zone in a manner intended to reduce accident risks.

1(4)(a) SSBA 6066person (b)found Priorto have committed any traffic infraction relating to thespeed finalrestrictions establishmentor ofinfraction associated with a crashvehicle preventioncollision zone,in an accident risk zone shall be assessed a monetary penalty equal to twice the departmentpenalty ofassessed transportation,under county,RCW city,46.63.110, orso townlong mustas holdsigns astating publicthat hearingpenalties whereare membersdoubled ofare theposted publicnotifying maydrivers viewof andthe commentincreased penalties on athe mapparticular ofroadway in the designatedaccident crashrisk preventionzone zone.where the traffic infraction occurred.

(2)(b) OnceOne-half aof crashthe preventionamount zoneof haspenalties that have been designated,doubled thefor jurisdictiontraffic thatinfractions establishedissued within the accident risk zone must conductbe andeposited engineeringinto andan trafficaccount investigationcreated offor the publicaccident roadsrisk inzone thethat zonemay be used to identifypay for the engineering and traffic investigation, creation and installation of road signs, safety improvements, includingand adjustmentsincreased tolaw enforcement presence in the speedaccident limits.risk zone.

A(5) county,The city,accident orrisk townzone maymust contractbe withdissolved theonce departmentsafety ofimprovements transportation to have thebeen departmentimplemented. conduct an engineering and traffic investigation of the public roads in the zone.

(3)Furthermore, Thethe Washingtonaccident staterisk patrolzone andmay localbe lawdissolved enforcementat agenciesthe mustdiscretion coordinateof increasedthe enforcementcity, county, or department of traffictransportation lawsthat withincreated the crashzone, preventionat zonethe inrecommendation aof mannerthe intendeddepartment of transportation to reducea accidentscity inor county, or by a petition of 10 percent of the crashproperty preventionowners, residents, or business owners with property that abuts or is within the accident risk zone that is presented to the city, county, or department of transportation that created the zone.

(4)(a) A person found to have committed any traffic infraction relating to speed restrictions in a crash prevention zone or infraction with a vehicle collision in a crash prevention zone shall be assessed a monetary penalty of $73, so 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) $73 of the monetary penalties for traffic infractions related to speed restrictions or infractions with a vehicle collision issued within the crash prevention zone must be deposited into an account created for the crash prevention zone that may be used to pay for the engineering and traffic investigation, creation and installation of road signs, safety improvements, and increased law enforcement presence in the crash prevention zone.

This account 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 SSB 6066 (6) The designation, establishment, investigation, or dissolution of a crash prevention zone under this section, or any data, reports, maps, county staff comments, public comments, engineering studies, prior testimony, or other materials prepared or used in connection with the creation or management of a crash prevention zone, is not admissible as evidence in any civil action.

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 SB 6066 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 SSBSB 6066