WALLA WALLA, Wash. – A new legislative proposal in Washington state by Rep. Mark Klicker (R-Walla Walla) to establish accident risk zones on public roads with high accident rates is set for discussion during the 2026 legislative session.
If passed by the legislature, HB 2174 would give local governments and the state Department of Transportation the authority to designate these zones. Before finalizing any accident risk zone, a public hearing will be held to allow residents to view maps and provide feedback.
Once a zone is designated, authorities would conduct engineering and traffic investigations to identify necessary safety improvements. These may include speed limit adjustments and increased traffic law enforcement. Traffic fines in these zones would be doubled, provided there are signs alerting drivers to the increased penalties.
This legislation was filed just days before a tragic crash on Highway 12 near Touchet that claimed the lives of three people, including a six-month-old child. The crash occurred when a vehicle heading westbound struck a guardrail, overcorrected and collided with an eastbound vehicle carrying the victims.
Rep. Klicker emphasized the urgency of these measures, stating that Highway 12 between Walla Walla and Burbank/Tri-Cities is one of the most dangerous highways in Washington.
During the 2025 legislative session, Rep. Klicker helped secure more than $44 million in funding for improvements over the next four years to enhance safety on this highway.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and the US Highway 12 Coalition have been working on widening US 12 from two to four lanes since 2003.
Phase 8 of the project, scheduled to begin in spring 2027, will complete the remaining 10 miles of the new four-lane highway between Wallula and Nine Mile Hill near Touchet.
