Press Inquiries | 360.786.7298, [email protected]
OLYMPIA – Sen. Marko Liias’s (D-Everett) bipartisan legislation to protect workers on Washington’s highways was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday.
Senate Bill 5272, which received unanimous support in both the Senate and House of Representatives, increases worker safety by authorizing the use of speed safety cameras in state highway work zones.
The need for this legislation comes as Washington sees an uptick in traffic collisions and fatalities, including in work zones. Data from the Washington State Department of Transportation show there were 283 minor injury crashes, 28 serious injury crashes and five fatal crashes in work zones in 2021 alone.
“Folks working on our state highways deserve to do so with the peace of mind that they will end their shift by going home to their families and loved ones,” Liias said. “These workers are acting every day to ensure our highways are safe for commuters, and we have a duty to keep them safe as well.”
“In recent years, we’ve seen too many injuries and even fatalities in our highway work zones,” said 14th District Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, and ranking Republican on the Senate Transportation Committee. “Speeding and distracted driving are the main causes of these tragic events. Placing speed cameras in our work zones can be an effective way to deter drivers from causing a serious accident.”
WSDOT Worker Memorial and bill signing ceremony at the WSDOT headquarters in...
Did you know that Caitlin Clark is an "avatar for people who want to spread hate"? Because Cari Champion does. Did you know that the fans who latched onto her are just middle Americans "who want t...