S-4397               _______________________________________________

                                         SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL NO. 4643

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Granlund, Peterson, Patterson, Kreidler, Conner and Guess)

Read first time 2/7/86.

AN ACT Relating to driver's licenses; adding new sections to chapter 46.20 RCW; creating a new section; repealing RCW 46.20.104; prescribing penalties; and providing an effective date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature recognizes that the first three years for a newly licensed driver under the age of nineteen are critical in terms of acquiring the proper attitudes and skills necessary to be a safe and responsible motor vehicle operator.  The socio-economic costs attributed to this new group of drivers in terms of accidents, injuries, fatalities, and the loss of human resources exceeds eighty million dollars annually in Washington state.  It is the intent of the legislature to reduce these costs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 46.20 RCW to read as follows:

(1) An applicant for a Washington driver's license  under the age of nineteen years shall be issued a provisional driver's license.

          (2) A provisional license shall be deemed a probationary license for the first twelve months after its issuance.  In applying for the provisional license the applicant accepts all conditions and limitations of the provisional and probationary license.

          (3) A provisional license shall be issued to sixteen and seventeen year old applicants only if they have successfully completed an approved course in traffic safety education, have the written signature of the applicant's parent or legal guardian on the application, and otherwise meet the requirements of this chapter.

          (4) A probationary license is valid only during the hours from 5:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. unless the licensee is accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.  Operation of a motor vehicle upon the public highways in violation of this subsection is a traffic infraction, except as provided by section 4 of this act.

          (5) The department shall extend or reestablish the probationary status of the provisional license for an additional twelve months, up to age nineteen, if the license holder has been found  to have committed two traffic infractions other than parking, standing, or stopping violations within a twelve-month period or has been convicted of, or forfeited bail for, a criminal traffic offense.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 46.20 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) The holder of a probationary driver's license who has been found to have committed no more than one traffic infraction or been convicted of or forfeited bail for no criminal traffic offense as defined in chapter 46.61 or 46.63 RCW during the twelve-month probationary period automatically achieves provisional licensing status.

          (2) A provisional license is valid until the licensee reaches age nineteen.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 46.20 RCW to read as follows:

          The licensee may petition the department for an exemption from the probationary license restrictions if he or she can sufficiently document that:

          (1) The driver is a principal provider of primary support to a household; or

          (2) The driver is a member of the armed forces of the United States; or

          (3) The driver is required to work during restricted hours to supplement the income of his or her family.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.  A new section is added to chapter 46.20 RCW to read as follows:

          Sections 2 through 4 of this act do not preclude the existing driver improvement provisions of chapter 46.20 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.  Section 46.20.104, chapter 12, Laws of 1961, section 13, chapter 121, Laws of 1965 ex. sess., section 3, chapter 167, Laws of 1967, section 44, chapter 292, Laws of 1971 ex. sess. and RCW 46.20.104 are each repealed.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7.     This act shall take effect March 1, 1987.