Stambaugh’s road worker safety bill unanimously passes House
A measure sponsored by Rep. Melanie Stambaugh, R-Puyallup to increase worker safety on Washington roads was unanimously approved by the state House Thursday. House Bill 2087 would extend current “emergency zone” rules of the road and associated offenses related to the use of lanes, speed restrictions and reckless endangerment to include work zones.
Under the bill, drivers would be required to yield the right-of-way to any authorized vehicle or pedestrian working in a designated construction or maintenance area, or near an authorized construction or maintenance vehicle displaying the required flashing lights.
According to data from the Washington State Department of Transportation, there were 161 fatal or serious injury crashes in work zones in Washington state from 2013-2017, leading to 44 fatalities and 145 serious injuries.
“It is clear we must better prioritize road worker safety in Washington state,” said Stambaugh. “One way to do that is by extending the protections provided to emergency personnel and tow truck drivers to the hard working men and women who build our roads, fix our power lines and provide many other services Washingtonians rely on. I am pleased by the vote taken today, and look forward to the bill moving through the legislative process and becoming law so our workers are better protected.”
The 2018 session began Jan. 8 and is scheduled to run for 60 consecutive days.