H-0147.1 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 1639
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 55th Legislature 1997 Regular Session
By Representatives Costa, Robertson, Cooper and Scott
Read first time 02/04/97. Referred to Committee on Transportation Policy & Budget.
AN ACT Relating to accident reports; and amending RCW 46.52.080.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 46.52.080 and 1979 c 158 s 162 are each amended to read as follows:
(1)
All required accident reports and supplemental reports and copies ((thereof))
of such reports shall be without prejudice to the ((individual so
reporting and shall be)) person making the report. Such reports are
for the confidential use of the county prosecuting attorney and chief of police
or county sheriff, as the case may be, and the director of licensing and the
chief of the Washington state patrol, and other officer or commission as authorized
by law, except that such reports shall be disclosed as authorized under
subsection (2) of this section.
(2)(a)
Any ((such)) officer named in subsection (1) of this section
having custody of accident reports shall disclose to a person listed in
(b) of this subsection the following:
(i)
The names and addresses of persons reported as involved in an accident or
as witnesses thereto((,));
(ii)
The vehicle license plate numbers and descriptions of vehicles involved((,));
and
(iii)
The date, time, and location of an accident((, to any person who
may have a proper interest therein, including)).
(b) The information listed in (a) of this subsection shall be disclosed to:
(i)
The driver or drivers involved, or the legal guardian thereof((,));
(ii)
The parent of a minor driver((,));
(iii) The parent, grandparent, or sibling of any person over the age of eighteen years injured in the accident;
(iv)
Any person injured ((therein,)) in the accident;
(v)
The owner of vehicles or property damaged ((thereby,)) in the
accident; or
(vi)
Any other person who may be an interested party in the accident, or any
authorized representative of ((such)) an interested party, or the
attorney or insurer ((thereof)) of an interested party.
(3)(a)
No such accident report or copy thereof ((shall)) may be used as
evidence in any trial, civil or criminal, arising out of an accident, except ((that))
as authorized under (b) of this subsection.
(b)(i)
Any officer ((above)) named in subsection (1) of this section
for receiving accident reports shall furnish, upon demand of any person who
has, or who claims to have, made such a report, or, upon demand of any court, a
certificate showing that a specified accident report has or has not been made
to the chief of the Washington state patrol solely to prove a compliance or a
failure to comply with the requirement that such a report be made in the manner
required by law((: PROVIDED, That)).
(ii) The reports may be used as evidence when necessary to prosecute charges filed in connection with a violation of RCW 46.52.088.
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