FINAL BILL REPORT

SSB 5457

C 355 L 03

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Posting hazards to motorcycles.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Highways & Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Horn, Haugen, Oke, Johnson, Hargrove, B. Sheldon, Roach, Zarelli, Sheahan, Jacobsen, Stevens, Schmidt, Rossi, Eide, Kline, T. Sheldon, West, Shin and Rasmussen).

Senate Committee on Highways & Transportation

House Committee on Transportation

Background: Under current law, when construction, repair, or maintenance work is conducted on public highways, county roads, streets or bridges and the work interferes with the normal and established mode of travel, the location shall be properly posted by prominently displayed signs or flagmen or both. Signs used are to be consistent with the provisions found in the state of Washington "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways" obtained from the Department of Transportation.

Summary: When construction, repair, or maintenance to highways, county roads, streets or bridges includes grooved pavement, abrupt lane edges, steel plates, or gravel or earth surfaces, signs must be posted warning motorcyclists of the hazard. The department must adopt by rule a uniform sign for this purpose including at least the language "Motorcycles use extreme caution."

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate       47  2

House       93  0    (House amended)

Senate       43  0    (Senate concurred)

Effective: January 1, 2004