Transportation

Washington's SB 5890 amends reckless driving laws to define driving more than 30 miles per hour over the posted speed limit as reckless driving. It requires drivers convicted of reckless driving (from speeding violations) with prior offenses to install ignition interlock devices on all vehicles they operate. The bill also mandates a 150-day probation period after license suspension, during which drivers must use a functioning intelligent speed assistance device, with violations treated as traffic infractions. The changes take effect September 1, 2026, and expire January 1, 2029.

SB 5067 lowers Washington's legal blood alcohol limit for driving from 0.08 to 0.05, affecting all drivers operating vehicles in the state. It updates statutes like RCW 46.61.502 to reflect this new threshold and establishes a 5.00 THC concentration limit for cannabis impairment. Most violations remain gross misdemeanors, though repeat offenses or crashes causing death could trigger felony charges under existing penalties. The bill amends multiple traffic laws to implement these changes, based on findings about international safety standards and Washington's 2023 traffic fatality data.