It’s time for the ‘Stupid Motorist Law’ in WA, and maybe a few more
Oct 29, 2025, 9:23 AM
A photo of the I-90 overpass in Cle Elum that was struck by an oversized semi-truck. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
Last week, another truck hit another overpass.
This time, it was westbound I-90 near Cle Elum. An oversized load slammed into the bridge, shut down the highway for hours, and forced backups through the mountains for days. It was the third bridge strike in recent months. State Route 167. Highway 410. At this point, you wonder if our bridges are shrinking or if truck drivers just stopped looking up.
King County Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn has had enough. He’s proposing what he calls the Stupid Motorist Law. Over-height drivers would face bigger fines and pay for the damage they cause, plus the economic ripple effects. We’re talking millions in repairs annually, not to mention the thousands of people stuck in traffic, wondering why they’re not moving.
Hard to argue with the logic. If your truck won’t fit under a bridge, maybe check before you leave. Revolutionary concept, I know. But it got me thinking: If we’re going to legislate stupidity on the roads, why stop at trucks?
How about the Stupid Merging Law? For the driver who speeds up to block someone from merging, then slams the brakes 10 seconds later. Or the person who merges onto I-5 doing 40 mph like they’re joining a funeral procession.
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The Stupid Roundabout Law
Apparently, we still need this one. You yield BEFORE entering, not after. And if you stop in the middle to think about it, you’ve already failed.
The Stupid Pedestrian Law
Let’s go multimodal. The Stupid Pedestrian Law covers anyone crossing mid-block at night, wearing all black, staring at their phone like cars don’t exist if you don’t look at them.
The Stupid Cyclist Law
The Stupid Cyclist Law is for riders who treat red lights as suggestions and bike lanes as optional. Nothing says “share the road” like ignoring every rule that makes sharing possible.
The truth is, we would all qualify for at least one of these. Everyone has done something careless, impatient, or just plain dumb that made someone else’s drive or ride worse. The difference is that when you do it behind the wheel of a truck taller than a bridge, it costs real money and sometimes real safety.
And maybe that’s the real point here. Not punishment, but a reminder that our decisions behind the wheel have consequences. Your impatience becomes someone’s three-hour delay. Your inattention becomes damaged roadways. Your “I thought it would fit” becomes another I-90 closure.
Reagan Dunn’s proposal makes sense because some mistakes are too expensive to keep making. But honestly? If we all just paid a little more attention and were a little less stupid about how we get around, we wouldn’t need a law at all.
Until then, maybe check if your truck fits under the bridge. Just a thought.
Charlie Harger is the host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of his stories and commentaries here. Follow Charlie on X and email him here.
