Washington State Senate Overwhelmingly Passes New Legislation to Combat Reckless Speeding and Save Lives
This is the third state legislature to pass Stop Super Speeders legislation this year.
House Bill 1596 is named for a mother and three children killed in a horrific speeding-related crash.
Olympia, WA – Today the Washington State Senate overwhelmingly passed House Bill 1596 (40-8), known as the BEAM Act, which aims to reduce reckless speeding and enhance road safety across the state. The bill, named after four people who were tragically killed in a speeding-related crash, will now proceed to the governor's desk for final approval. This marks the third legislature this year to pass similar #StopSuperSpeeders legislation, in addition to the District of Columbia which enacted the first bill in 2024. New York, California, Arizona, and Maryland also have bills progressing through their state legislatures.
In March 2024, 38-year-old Andrea Hudson, was driving a minivan with five children when a driver traveling at 112 mph struck her vehicle at an intersection in Renton. Hudson and three of the children in her car, including 12-year-old Buster Brown, 12-year-old Matilda Wilcoxson and 13-year-old Eloise Wilcoxson, were killed instantly. Two of Hudson's own children were also in the car, but survived.
HB 1596 allows drivers who have been convicted of reckless driving or have accumulated three or more moving violations, to install anti-speeding technology, known as intelligent speed assistance (ISA), in lieu of license suspension. ISA uses GPS technology and other sensors to prevent the vehicle from exceeding posted speed limits. This measure aims to promote safer driving habits while enabling individuals to maintain mobility for essential activities. Seventy-five percent of drivers continue to drive on a suspended license while speed limiters will slow down vehicles as long as they’re installed.
The growing movement to stop super speeders across the country is powered by the voices of victims and survivors of traffic violence. Members of Families for Safe Streets, who have lost loved ones or been seriously injured in traffic crashes, are leading the charge to bring this life-saving technology to more communities.
The movement began in New York State, where FSS members were instrumental in introducing the first Stop Super Speeders bill in the U.S. Their efforts laid the groundwork for other local campaigns, including in Washington, D.C., where the local FSS chapter successfully advocated for the passage of the first Stop Super Speeders law in the country in 2024. Virginia became the first state in the country to mandate ISA to stop super speeders last month and Georgia passed a similar bill earlier this month that is also awaiting signature by the governor.
With Washington’s vote today, it is clear that this is the beginning of a growing national trend. Many other advocacy groups nationwide have joined FSS, recognizing ISA as a commonsense, targeted tool to prevent the most dangerous forms of speeding, which is a factor in nearly a third of all deadly crashes nationally HB1596 has garnered widespread support from safety advocates, law enforcement agencies, and community organizations across the state.
Speeding has been growing even more deadly in Washington State. According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, fatal crashes involving speeding drivers increased by nearly 40% between 2019 and 2023, with excessive speed contributing to 251 deaths in 2023 alone. The bill's passage marks a significant step toward addressing the growing concern of reckless speeding and its devastating consequences.
“These aren’t accidents. These reckless drivers are choosing behavior that is harming and often killing people,” said Rep. Mari Leavitt, D-University Place, the bill sponsor of HB1596. “This bill will prevent the heartache that families like that of Andrea Smith Hudson face and passage wouldn’t have been possible without the relentless advocacy of so many families impacted like theirs. Through this work, we honor the lives lost and reaffirm our commitment to preventing further tragedies.”
“Our members are fighting for a future where nobody has to lose their loved ones to careless behavior by a small class of repeat, reckless drivers that are proven to disproportionately kill and people like my son,” said Amy Cohen, Founder and President of Families for Safe Streets, and mother of Sammy Cohen Eckstein who was killed in 2014. “This measure in Washington is just the beginning of a nationwide movement that is long overdue. Currently, in many states, the only consequence to stop super speeders is to suspend a driver’s license, but 75% of people with a suspended license drive anyways. This commonsense measure allows people to get around but just makes sure they do so safely.”
“Had it been implemented earlier and more widely in the U.S., bills lille HB1596 that require anti-speeding technology to stop super speeders could have saved Josh’s life,” said Lori Markowitz, a member of Families for Safe Streets and a vocal advocate for traffic safety, whose son was killed by a driver going over 100 miles per hour. “I am so grateful to the Washington State Legislature and look forward to standing with the governor when the bill is signed into law.”
“This legislation will help address the tragic public health and safety crisis on our roads, which has seen a 20% increase in roadway deaths over the past decade, largely due to speeding, drunk driving, and failure to wear seatbelts,” said Candace Reid, Program Director of MADD Washington/Oregon. “The link between speeding and substance-impaired driving is clear and undeniable – 38% of speeding drivers involved in fatal crashes were alcohol-impaired in 2022. MADD thanks Rep. Mari Leavitt for leading the state of Washington in a growing movement to deploy safety technology for drivers who repeatedly choose to break the law.”
“Speeding is a persistent problem on our roadways and contributes to a significant number of deaths. Anti-speeding technology, much like past safety innovations such as seat belts, will help save lives,” said Lorraine Martin, president & CEO of the National Safety Council and chair of the Road to Zero Coalition. “The National Safety Council supports the requirement of ISA systems for high-risk groups such as repeat speeding offenders. We commend the Washington State legislature for its national leadership on this life-saving effort.”
“In 2023, speeding played a role in nearly one-third of all traffic deaths in Washington — a staggering and preventable toll, said President Cathy Chase Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety. “Every one of these losses is a life cut short and lasting pain for families and communities. With the passage of House Bill 1596, Washington lawmakers are preventing future tragedies by advancing the proven solution of Intelligent Speed Assistance. We commend their leadership and urge Governor Ferguson to act without delay and sign this lifesaving bill into law.”
“Walkable places require safe streets. We commend Washington for passing legislation to stop reckless speeders through appropriate technology," said Mike McGinn, Executive Director of America Walks.
"We commend Washington for recognizing that we need to do more to curb dangerous speeds that result in tens of thousands of preventable deaths each year nationwide," said Leah Shahum, Founder and Director of Vision Zero Network, a nonprofit supporting road safety in U.S. communities. "Using Intelligent Speed Assistance to address the deadly problem of super-speeding is a smart, effective way to use safety technology to save lives and prevent tragedies."
“Those of us who prosecute Felony Traffic fatality and serious injury cases are pleased that the Legislature is addressing the very dangerous driving of speeding,” said Amy J. Freedheim, Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. “Too many people on our roads are endangered by this very selfish behavior. Thank you to Rep. Leavitt for bringing this Bill forward and educating her colleagues about speed limiters and the dangers of speeding. The BEAM ACT, HB 1596, will save lives. We hope the governor signs this into law.”
Families for Safe Streets, America Walks, and other national change-makers are hosting an interactive webinar on this lifesaving strategy on Wednesday, May 7th at 2pm ET/11 PT. Panelists will include Virginia Delegate Patrick Hope, who spearheaded successful legislation in his state’s General Assembly to impose ISA on a small category of repeat reckless drivers or drivers with egregious violations of the speed limit, and FSS Policy and Advocacy Committee Co-Chair Patty Avery, whose daughter Bethany Sklar was killed by an uninsured, repeat offender. With the recent legislative victories in Virginia, Georgia, and Washington, this webinar will be a crucial first step to laying the groundwork for successful legislation in other states in upcoming legislative sessions. Register for the webinar.
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