Crash prevention zone on deadly stretch of Highway 395 closer to reality

Traffic tickets on a deadly stretch of Highway 395 may soon double as a new measure moved closer to becoming law.

Senate Bill 6066, sponsored by Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, is now in the state House, where it’s expected to get a committee hearing later this week.

The bill would allow Franklin County, the city of Pasco or the Washington State Department of Transportation officials to designate the stretch of Highway 395 between the Columbia River and Mesa as a “crash prevention zone.”

The new designation would highlight the problem area and require officials to create plans to address the underlying causes of the deadly crashes.

There would also be increased enforcement on the stretch of highway.

To pay for these, drivers found violating traffic laws in that zone would face double the fines. The additional money would be set aside to pay for studies, improvements or traffic enforcement.

That stretch of highway would be the test case for the program until 2029, when other counties, cities and the Washington State Department of Transportation can create crash prevention zones in other areas of the state.

The dangerous stretch of divided highway between Pasco and Crestloch Road has claimed the lives of 12 people since 2015 and dozens of others have been hurt.

The measure is being spearheaded by Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, after a fatal November crash sparked calls to make the Highway 395 safer.

She pointed to the most recent deadly crash that claimed the life of Perrie N. Robitaille, 77, just days before Thanksgiving. The Kahlotus councilman was part of a family with a long history of service to the rural farming community.

Legislators and local leaders held a listening session following the November crash where more than 100 people called for changes to the highway.

The measure has support from the City of Pasco, the Association of Washington Cities, the Washington Associations of Counties and Washington Counties Risk Pool.

Crash Prevention Zones

The bill initially gives the city, county, or the Washington state Department of Transportation the ability to create a zone covering the area of Highway 395 between Pasco and Mesa.

After 2029, local governments across the state will gain the ability to designate any public road marked by a “multitude of collisions” that have caused serious injuries or deaths.

Prior to creating the zone, there would need to be a public hearing allowing community members to see and comment on a map that shows the area included in the zone.

Once it’s put in place, the group requesting the zone, would need to conduct a traffic and engineering study to determine ways to make it safer.

It also calls on the Washington State Patrol and local police to coordinate increasing enforcement in those zones.

Once created, anyone caught speeding or breaking traffic laws in the zone would pay doubled fines. That would be marked on road signs.

The additional money would be set aside to pay for engineering, traffic investigations, installing road signs, safety improvements or law enforcement patrols.

The zone can be dissolved once the improvements are made by the government agency that created it or by a petition of 10% of the property owners, businesses or residents in the area.

If approved and signed into law by Gov. Bob Ferguson, the crash prevention zone could be created as soon as this summer.

This story was originally published February 25, 2026 at 5:00 AM.