Title: An act relating to passengers riding on the outside part of vehicles.

Brief Description: Limiting passengers from riding on the outside part of vehicles.

Sponsors: Representatives Lovick, Dunshee and McCoy.

Brief History:

Transportation: 1/23/06, 2/1/06 [DP].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 18 members: Representatives Murray, Chair; Wallace, Vice Chair; Appleton, Campbell, Clibborn, Dickerson, Flannigan, Hankins, Jarrett, Kilmer, Lovick, Morris, Sells, Simpson, B. Sullivan, Takko, Upthegrove and Wood.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 10 members: Representatives Woods, Ranking Minority Member; Buck, Curtis, Ericksen, Holmquist, Hudgins, Nixon, Rodne, Schindler and Shabro.

Staff: David Munnecke (786-7315).

Background:

It is illegal to transport any person on the running board, fenders, hood, or other outside part of any vehicle.

Exceptions are made to this law in the case of authorized emergency vehicles and solid waste collection vehicles that are engaged in the collection of solid waste or recyclables at a speed of 20 miles per hour or less.

Summary of Bill:

It is a traffic infraction for any person to transport any persons in or on an open truck bed unless the passengers are wearing safety belts in a properly adjusted and securely fastened manner. An open truck bed is defined to include pickup truck beds without a shell or camper and the bed of a flatbed truck.

There are exceptions made to this safety belt requirement in the case of:

• authorized emergency vehicles;
• vehicles participating in an officially authorized or permitted parade, caravan or exhibition; and
• vehicles performing practices prudent or necessary for producing agricultural goods and harvesting natural resources.   

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: This bill will prevent injuries and make roads safer. Approximately 20 states already have these laws. There is a high rate of injury associated with riding in the back of vehicles. People in the back of a vehicle during an accident are ten times more likely to be injured. Officers currently cannot ticket kids in the back of vehicles.

Agricultural interests have been consulted on the language and the state grange has signed off on the language.

Testimony Against: None.

Persons Testifying: Representative Lovick, prime sponsor; and Steve Lind, Washington Traffice Safety Commission.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.