MYNORTHWEST POLITICS

Ferguson signs bill to crack down on speeding drivers

May 12, 2025, 7:00 PM

Speed-limiting bill signed Monday in Olympia....

Governor Bob Ferguson signed a bill designed to crack down on speeding drivers on Monday. (Courtesy TVW)

(Courtesy TVW)

Governor Bob Ferguson signed House Bill 1596 into law Monday, aiming to crack down on speeding drivers.

The new legislation will require speed-limiting devices in vehicles of individuals convicted of dangerous driving.

“What’s behind this bill is of course a really simple goal, which is to save lives,” Gov. Ferguson said. “This legislation was inspired by a crash where four individuals, including three children, were killed when their car was struck by a driver going 112 miles per hour.”

New law targets reckless drivers

The crash in March 2024 in Renton killed Andrea Hudson, 38, Boyd “Buster” Brown, 12, Matilda Wilcoxson, 13, and 12-year-old Eloise Wilcoxson. Two other children were severely injured.

Chase Jones, 19, was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison last month.

“It’s the family members who got us to this day,” said State Rep. Mari Leavitt, the bill’s prime sponsor. “They’re the ones who were willing to share their story over and over and over again.”

Leavitt and those family members were in the room Monday afternoon when Gov. Ferguson signed the bill.

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Ferguson signs bill to crack down on speeding drivers