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Washington

June 2009


Aggressive Driving Laws
None
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Cell Phone Driving Laws

Handheld Ban

All Cell Phone Ban

Text Messaging Ban

Enforcement

Crash
Data
Collected

Pre-
emption
Law

School Bus Drivers

Novice Drivers

All Drivers

School Bus Drivers

Novice Drivers

Yes

 

 

Yes

Covered under all driver ban

Covered under all driver ban

Secondary

Yes

 

Sources: American Automobile Association (AAA), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Child Passenger Safety Laws

Child Restraint Required
unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.)

Adult seat belt Permissible
unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.)

Maximum Fine
First Offense

<8 (and <4'9"); <13 in rear seat if practical

8 - 15 (or <8 and >4'9")

$124 to driver if passenger <16; $124 to passenger if >16

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Drug Impaired Driving Laws

Per Se Laws for Drugs
(Forbidding Prohibited Substances in
Driver's Body)

DEC/DRE Programs
(Providing Law Enforcement Training)

 

Yes

Source: State Highway Safety Offices.

Drunk Driving Laws

Admin. License
Suspension on
First Offense

Limited Driving Privileges During Suspension

Increased Penalties for High Blood Alc. Concen-
tration (BAC)

Open Container Laws

Repeat Offender Laws

Vehicle and License
Plate
Sanctions

Ignition Inter-
locks

Alcohol Exclusion Laws Limiting Treatment Opportunity

90 days

After 30 days

.15

Yes

Yes

Impoundment

Mandatory for all convictions

Yes

Sources: Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Laws

Learner Stage

Intermediate Stage

Full Privilege
Min. Age
(Yrs./Mos.)

Required
Supervised
Driving (Hrs.)
(Nighttime hours in parenthesis)

 

Min.
Age
(Yrs./
Mos.)

Min.
Duration
(Mos.)

Min. Age
(Yrs./Mos.)

Nighttime Driving Restriction

Passenger
Restriction*
(* family members
exempt)

15

6

16

1 a.m. - 5 a.m.

First 6 mos.–no pass. <20*; second 6 mos.–no more than 3 pass. <20

18

50 (10)

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), American Automobile Association (AAA) and State Highway Safety Offices.

Helmet Laws

Motorcyclists

Bicyclists

All Helmet Law

Partial Law

All Helmet Law Repealed

1990

 

 

 

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Mature Driver Laws

Length of Regular Renewal Cycle (Yrs.)

Provisions for Mature Drivers

5

 

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Seat Belt Laws

Type of Law

Who is Covered
(Yrs.)

In What Seat

Maximum Fine
First Offense

Primary

>8 or >4'9"

All

$124
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Segway Laws

Permitted on Sidewalks/Bicycle Paths

Permitted on Roads

Helmets Required

Minimum Age

Pedestrian Laws Apply

Sidewalks, trails and bicycle paths as determined by local governments

 

 

 

Yes

Sources: Segway LLC and State Highway Safety Offices.
Sobriety Checkpoint Laws

Checkpoints Conducted?

Comments

No

Illegal under state constitution

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Speed Limit Laws

Rural Interstates

Urban Interstates

Other Limited Access Roads

Cars
(mph)

Trucks
(mph)

Cars
(mph)

Trucks
(mph)

Cars
(mph)

Trucks
(mph)

70 60 60 60 60 60

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Speed and Red Light Cameras

State Law

Viola-
tions

Loca-
tion

Citation Issued to Whom

Liability

Image

Tradi-
tional Enforce-
ment Penalties

Records/ Points/ Penalties

Defenses

Privacy

Per-
mitted

Red light

Where two arterial roads intersect

Registered owner

Registered owner

Vehicle, license tag

$250 max.

Up to the max. for parking violations; no record; no points

Owner not operator; rental companies with conditions; vehicle stolen or sold

Only when a violation occurs; photo may not reveal faces

Speed

School zones

Registered owner

Registered owner

Vehicle, license tag

$250 max.

Up to the max. for parking violations; no record; no points

Owner not operator; rental companies with conditions; vehicle stolen or sold

Only when a violation occurs; photo may not reveal faces

Rail crossing

Various

Registered owner

Registered owner

Vehicle, license tag

$250 max.

Up to the max. for parking violations; no record; no points

Owner not operator; rental companies with conditions; vehicle stolen or sold

Only when a violation occurs; photo may not reveal faces

Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Work Zone Speed Limit Laws

Multiple of Original Fine

Violations Affected

Workers Must Be Present

Double

Speeding

No

Sources: National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse and State Highway Safety Offices.