Washington statute
RCW 46.61.090 — Crash prevention zones
Current through 2026 Regular Session
Part of Chapter 46.61: Rules Of The Road, Revised Code of Washington.
Full text of RCW 46.61.090
Statutory text current through the 2026 Regular Session. This publication reproduces the official text of the Revised Code of Washington from the Code Reviser's published files; it is not the official statutes of the State of Washington.
(1)(a)(i) Until January 1, 2029, the legislative body of a county, city, or town may create a crash prevention zone within its jurisdiction on the portion of U.S. Highway 395 from milepost 23 to milepost 32 between Pasco and Mesa, on highway 12 from Tank Farm Road to A street, and on highway 12 from Attalia East road to Nine Mile Canyon road.
(ii) These crash prevention zones may be dissolved prior to, on, or after January 1, 2029, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (5) of this section.
(iii) A crash prevention zone created under (a)(i) of this subsection must use the process described in (b)(i) of this subsection.
(b) Beginning January 1, 2029:
(i) The legislative body of a county, city, or town may create a crash prevention zone within its jurisdiction by identifying public roads where the incidence of collisions resulting in serious injuries or fatalities is greater than expected for similar roads over the previous five-year period using processes as adopted in the highway safety manual published by the American association of state highway and transportation officials;
(ii) The secretary of the department of transportation may create a crash prevention zone within its jurisdiction by identifying public roads where the incidence of collisions resulting in serious injuries or fatalities is greater than expected for similar highways over the previous five-year period using processes as adopted in the highway safety manual published by the American association of state highway and transportation officials.
(c) A county, city, or town or the department of transportation may consider and implement safety improvement approaches in designated crash prevention zones. A county, with the approval of a city or town, may designate a crash prevention zone that includes public roads within the county and city or town. A county, city, or town may designate a crash prevention zone under (a)(i) and (b)(i) of this subsection that includes roadways managed by the department of transportation with the approval of the department of transportation. The department of transportation may designate a crash prevention zone on a state highway without the approval of a county, city, or town.
(d) Prior to the final establishment of a crash prevention zone, the county, city, or town must hold a public hearing, to which the department of transportation regional administrator must be invited, where members of the public may view and comment on a map of the designated crash prevention zone.
(2) Once a crash prevention zone has been designated, the jurisdiction that established the zone must conduct an engineering and traffic investigation of the public roads in the zone to identify options for safety improvements, including adjustments to the speed limits. A county, city, or town may contract with the department of transportation to have the department conduct an engineering and traffic investigation of the public roads in the zone.
(3)(a) The Washington state patrol and local law enforcement agencies must coordinate within existing resources and to the extent practicable increased [increase] enforcement of traffic laws within the crash prevention zone in a manner intended to reduce collisions in the crash prevention zone.
(b) The department of transportation may use speed reduction methods, approaches, and technologies to reduce speeding within the crash prevention zones.
(4) For each crash prevention zone created by a city, town, or county, a corresponding local account must be created, administered, and maintained by the jurisdiction. Expenditures from the corresponding local account may only be used for engineering and traffic investigations, creation and installation of road signs, and safety improvements in the crash prevention zone.
(5)(a) A crash prevention zone must be dissolved once safety improvements have been implemented.
(b) Until January 1, 2029, a crash prevention zone may also be dissolved at the discretion of the city, town, county, or department of transportation that created the zone.
(c) Beginning January 1, 2029, a crash prevention zone may also be dissolved at the discretion of the city, town, county, or department of transportation that created the zone or by direction of the Washington state legislature.
(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, are not admissible as evidence in any civil action.
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This reference is informational and is not legal advice.