Office of Rep. Mari Leavitt, 28th Legislative District press release.
The Washington State House of Representatives has taken a decisive step toward preventing deadly speeding crashes, passing the Andrea Smith Hudson Act (HB 1596) with strong bipartisan support. The bill now heads to the Senate, bringing Washington one step closer to holding reckless drivers accountable and saving lives.
Sponsored by Rep. Mari Leavitt, D-University Place, the bill introduces a powerful tool to curb excessive speeding. Under the legislation, individuals with suspended licenses due to repeated violations where speeding is an element could apply for a restricted license—allowing them to drive only to essential destinations like work or medical appointments—but only if they install an Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) device in their vehicle. It also gives a meaningful tool for courts to impose this tool to keep people safe during or after proceedings or as a condition of determination. This technology, also called a speed limiters, uses GPS tracking to prevent vehicles from excessive speed.
“This bill is about saving lives—plain and simple,” said Rep. Mari Leavitt. “Far too many families have lost loved ones to preventable crashes caused by excessive speeding. We cannot allow this dangerous behavior to continue unchecked. The Andrea Smith Hudson Act will provide accountability while ensuring people can still get to work and meet their essential needs—without putting others at risk.”
Washington is facing a disturbing rise in fatal speeding-related crashes. Between 2019 and 2023, fatal crashes involving a speeding driver increased by nearly 40%. In 2023 alone, excessive speed was a factor in 251 deaths. Shockingly, from 2019 to 2024, the number of tickets issued for driving more than 50 mph over the speed limit skyrocketed by 200%, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.
For many families, these numbers are more than statistics—they are painful, permanent losses. Andrea Smith Hudson, for whom the bill is named, was a devoted mother, daughter, and sister who loved camping and spending time outdoors with her family. In March of last year, Andrea was tragically killed while picking up her children and others from their homeschool co-op, when a driver recklessly speeding through town struck their vehicle. Andrea and three of the young children did not survive. She is photographed below with her husband.
“This intentional behavior weaponizes vehicles, turning them into missiles more dangerous than bullets,” said Andrea’s father, Ted Smith, during testimony on the bill in January. “We need stiff consequences for these thrill-seekers, and we must use any tools available to stop these preventable tragedies from happening again.”
The Andrea Smith Hudson Act has earned widespread support from safety advocates, law enforcement, and community groups. Reporting shows that up to 75% of drivers with suspended licenses continue to drive anyway. This bill provides a balanced approach—allowing restricted driving for essential needs only if a driver accepts additional safety measures to prevent further reckless behavior.
The Seattle Times Editorial Board praised the bill, writing: “Courts and law enforcement in Washington should be afforded access to technology that can help reduce speeding and thus save lives. HB 1596 would do just that.”
The bill is also backed by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, and worker groups who spend their days on the road.
With the House’s approval, the fight now moves to the Senate. Advocates and families who have lost loved ones to reckless speeding are urging lawmakers to act swiftly. Every day that passes without action is another day where preventable tragedies occur.
Follow the bill’s progress on the Legislature’s website. Learn more about Andrea Smith Hudson on Rep. Leavitt’s website. View Rep. Leavitt in the video as she honored some of the lives lost to excessive speeding in our state on March 11 when HB 1596 passed the House 84-12.
I hope Rep. Leavitt is paying for this advertisement.
Aren’t you the guy with the billboard on I-5 in Chehalis? You need to change the message on it, been the same for so long I thought you died.
THIS IS A STEP, BUT ONLY A STEP, IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION BECAUSE…….
+ WE NEED MORE TRAFFIC POLICE…CITY, COUNTY, AND STATE TO CATCH AND PUNISH AND KEEP THE SCOFF LAWS IN CHECK….I SEE ON ALL ROADWAYS, AT ALL TIMES OF THE WEEK & DAY, PEOPLE BREAKING SPEED AND MANY OTHER TRAFFIC LAWS. FAR TOO MANY PEOPLE, AS EVIDENCED BY THE STATISTICS YOU PROVIDED, JUST DO WHAT THEY WANT….ENFORCE THE LAWS MORE STRICTLY !!
+ WHAT IS TO PREVENT SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN PUT INTO THIS PROGRAM FROM GOING OUT AND BUYING ANOTHER VEHICLE? THE WORST SPEEDERS I SEE ON ALL ROADS ARE DRIVING EXPENSIVE VEHICLES.
It does little good to pass more laws, while open drug use and street crime occurs constantly right under our noses.
Our law makers are passing laws to hold law-abiding gun owners responsible for the theft of and crimes committed by the thief.
This proposed traffic law seems to focus on the perp. We-the-governed demand that all laws do the same, especially where a Constitutionally-guaranteed right is at hand.
Isn’t speeding already illegal? Reckless driving? Another law prevents nothing.
How is the alcohol interlock working? It’s not. People bypass them, drive without them, borrow cars wherever they need to do what they want.
How about we actually enforce the laws on the books with real penalties. Bring back the chain-gang and clean up homeless feces and drug needles. This kid was a know reckless driver and excessive speeder who was reported on several occasions and nothing was done. His driving and criminal records have not been released and his attorneys plea for leniency was “well he wasn’t carrying a gun”….
The problem is not the law – it’s parents and apathetic friends and. Neighbors. School yard justice would have worked in this punk.
PREVENTING? This new law will do nothing to prevent. It may hold drivers accountable but that’s it.
For Example….DUI’s have been a criminal offense in WA since 1979. In 1999 the blood alcohol level, to be considered “under the influence,” dropped from .10 to .08. In 2007 WA passed a bill that made DUI’s, under some circumstances, a felony. Even with the stricter laws, and penalties, Pierce County District Court charges hundreds, if not thousands, of DUI’s each year. Why haven’t the new DUI laws stopped DUI’s all together over the last almost 50 years?