H‑0638.1   _____________________________________________

HOUSE BILL 1122

           _____________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Representatives Miloscia, Fisher and Morell

Read first time 01/17/2001.  Referred to Committee on Transportation.

_1      AN ACT Relating to drivers' education; adding a new section to

_2  chapter 46.20 RCW; creating new sections; making an appropriation;

_3  providing an effective date; providing expiration dates; and

_4  declaring an emergency.

_5  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

_6      NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  With more than 45,000 reported traffic

_7  accidents each year, average daily traffic counts as high as

_8  264,000 vehicles per day in the downtown Seattle area, and average

_9  daily traffic counts growing by 2.61 percent annually, the need

10  for mitigating the frustration and rage experienced by drivers is

11  immediate.  Further, since drivers are generally required to pass a

12  written driver's exam and driving skills test only once in their

13  lifetime, a significant amount of driving information may be

14  forgotten.  Therefore, it is necessary to initiate a driver

15  education campaign in order to help create safer driving

16  conditions on our state highways.  This commercial campaign will

17  review useful driving knowledge and skills that will stimulate

18  defensive driving, resulting in a reduction of traffic accidents

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_1  and a decrease in aggressive driving.  The campaign will respond to

_2  support for license renewal testing by addressing traffic

_3  education, without the expense of mandatory tests.

_4      NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  The drivers education task force,

_5  consisting of representatives from the department of

_6  transportation, the department of licensing, the traffic safety

_7  commission, and the state patrol is created.  The drivers education

_8  task force will develop a detailed work plan, budget, marketing

_9  strategy, and performance measures by September 1, 2001.  As soon

10  thereafter as possible, the task force shall develop and deploy a

11  series of advertisements using radio, television, billboards, and

12  other media as practicable that target those drivers who are most

13  at risk of causing accidents or engaging in acts of road rage.  The

14  ad campaign shall run for at least twelve months.  In addition, the

15  task force shall develop a web site to coincide with the ad

16  campaign to monitor the targets' response.  This web site will be a

17  forum for the public to voice its opinions about the campaign.  This

18  site will be a tool for the state to monitor general comments,

19  concerns, and questions regarding traffic safety.

20      At the conclusion of the twelve-month ad campaign, the task

21  force shall collate the web site responses and conduct a random

22  survey of targeted drivers to determine whether or not the drivers

23  believed the ads made any difference in their driving

24  behaviors.  These results, along with traffic accident data, will

25  help the task force to determine whether or not their efforts were

26  successful.  The task force shall summarize these results and

27  present them to the legislature no later than December 31,

28  2002.  This section expires July 1, 2003.

29      The legislature may extend the campaign for a longer period of

30  time if the web site shows that the commercials are helpful in

31  reducing dangerous driving.

32      NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 46.20

33  RCW to read as follows:

34      A surcharge of fifty cents is imposed on each initial driver's

35  license fee and on each driver's license renewal fee for the

HB 1122                        p. 2

_1  support of the drivers education task force.  This section expires

_2  July 1, 2003.

_3      NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  The sum of one million dollars, or as much

_4  thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium

_5  ending June 30, 2003, from the motor vehicle fund to the

_6  department of transportation for the purpose of supporting the

_7  activities of the drivers education task force.

_8      NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.  This act is necessary for the immediate

_9  preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of

10  the state government and its existing public institutions, and

11  takes effect July 1, 2001.

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