WSDOT sends 16K courtesy notices to drivers in highway speed camera pilot program
Jun 27, 2025, 5:35 PM
Highway speed cameras being installed on Washington highways. (Photo courtesy of WSDOT)
(Photo courtesy of WSDOT)
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) partnered with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) and the Washington State Patrol (WSP) for a recent pilot program aimed at slowing drivers down on state highways.
The highway speed camera project began in April, along two stretches of state highways that are notorious for high-speed violations. In Skagit County, it was a 4.5-mile stretch on I-5 south between Bow Hill and Cook Roads. In Spokane County, it was a 3.5-mile stretch on I-90 east between Liberty Lake and the State Line.
Hundreds of cars clocked going 100 mph+ in highway speed camera pilot program
In both locations, there were signs placed well ahead of the cameras warning drivers to slow down and that their speeds were being recorded. However, WSDOT clocked 161 vehicles topping 100 mph in Skagit County and 116 in Spokane County during the pilot program.
The 2-month campaign wrapped up this past week. Kyle Miller, with WSDOT, shared some of the findings with KIRO Newsradio.
“We just took the cameras off the roads, so we haven’t had a chance to fully analyze the data yet,” he shared.
However, Miller said WSDOT sent out around 16,000 courtesy notices asking people to slow down when they were caught speeding on the road.
“Once the signs went up, we noticed that speeding went down. So that was great news,” he said.
What were the recorded speed reductions?
“I haven’t really dove in with my team yet to see exactly what these outcomes were. Just looking at the data at a high level, I could see a drop, but to what percentage, or to what speeds, that’s still further down the road that we’re going to be working on,” Miller replied.
Goal of highway speed camera program is to remind drivers to slow down
RELATED STORIES
That was the goal with this pilot program: slowing drivers down and reminding them to follow the posted speed limits or risk future infractions. The state never planned to issue speeding tickets during this period.
In 2024, 728 people were killed on Washington roadways. While that number dropped slightly from 2023, it’s still far above pre-pandemic averages.
The cameras identified several instances of excessive speeds, with 277 notices for vehicles averaging 100 mph or more through the three-mile monitoring areas. On state highways alone, there were 368 fatal or serious injury collisions in 2024 where speeding was cited as a factor, and that does not include local roadway crashes.
Last year, speeding was a factor in 34% of fatal crashes, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.
“When you drive at safe speeds, you’re protecting families, neighbors, and the people working to maintain our roads,” Washington Traffic Safety Commission Program Manager Dr. Janine Koffel said.
The program was paid for with $1 million from the legislature. People can learn more about the cameras at an online open house and share feedback. WSDOT will now analyze the data from the cameras, review public feedback, and report back to the legislature. A preliminary report will be ready in early July, and a final report this fall.
Nate Connors is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. Follow him on X. Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.
