Proposed Traffic Stop Changes Pass Out Of House Committee

OLYMPIA, WA — Legislation designed to reclassify which infractions driver can be pulled over for passed out of a House committee on Thursday ahead of a key deadline. House Bill 1513, or the Traffic Safety For All Act, is one of several bills before the legislature this session designed to improve safety on Washington roadways.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Chipalo Street (D-Seattle) introduced the bill in January, aiming to re-prioritize police resources away from non-moving violations to focus more on safety-related infractions like impaired, speeding, or reckless drivers. Street's bill would classify most "non-moving violations," like having expired tabs or a broken taillight, as a secondary infraction that officers cannot use to initiate a traffic stop.

Proponents of the bill said making the change improves public safety by allowing officers, deputies and troopers to concentrate on more pressing issues, while limiting "forced interactions" with police and reducing racial inequities.

A recent analysis found Washington State Patrol troopers searched Black, Hispanic and Pacific Islander drivers twice as often as white drivers, despite finding contraband at a lower rate. Testifying in favor of his bill this week, Street spoke about a ride along with a state trooper.

"As we were responding to low level traffic stops, we watched a DUI go the other way and we weren’t able to respond to a hit and run," Street said. "That very night we stopped two other DUIs and another hit and run that were above and beyond those two we weren’t able to respond to. Our law enforcement officers have a lot to deal with and their time is best spent on these safety critical issues."

A financial assistance portion of the bill would establish a grant pool for counties, cities, tribes and non-profit groups to offer repair vouchers, workshops, fee waivers and other benefits to help qualifying drivers fix their vehicles. The legislation also requires better data collection on traffic stops to help lawmakers track the effectiveness of the legislation.

Another traffic-related bill moving through the House would prohibit right turns on red lights at intersections within 1,000 feet of high foot-traffic areas, including schools, public parks, libraries, hospitals and public transit centers.

As The Seattle Times reports, that bill is part of a broad package of traffic safety legislation this session amid a rising trend in traffic deaths on Washington roads, which totaled 745 last year.