Speed-limiting tech coming for high-risk drivers in Washington
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
/2025/06/02/1748900766220.gif?w=3840)
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Washington is the second U.S. state to approve the use of speed-restricting devices for drivers who have a history of going too fast, though it will be more than three years before the law is enforced.
Why it matters: Last year, 34% of the 731 traffic fatalities in the state involved speeding drivers, according to data from the state Traffic Safety Commission.
- That's a higher share than in the 2015-2021 period, when speeding played a role in 30% of fatal crashes statewide.
The latest: A law signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson last month will require drivers whose licenses are suspended for reckless driving to get intelligent speed assistance (ISA) devices installed on their cars if they want to drive again right away.
- The technology — which prevents drivers from exceeding the posted speed limit — will also be required for people whose licenses are suspended for repeated traffic violations, if one or more of those citations was for excessive speed.
How it works: Those drivers will be able to choose either to not drive during their license suspension period, or get a special license that will let them drive only if they have the speed-limiting device installed.
- The new law will take effect in January 2029.
The big picture: In April, Virginia adopted the first statewide law promoting speed-limiting devices as an alternative to license suspension, Shane Austin of the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety told Axios.
- Washington is now the second state to adopt such a policy, Austin said, although a similar system is in place in Washington, D.C.
What they're saying: Too often, drivers cited for excessive speeding are getting back on the road even while their licenses are suspended, state Rep. Mari Leavitt (D-University Place), the bill's sponsor, testified at a public hearing earlier this year.
- The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators estimated in a 2021 report that "approximately 75% of all suspended drivers continue to drive."
- In Washington state, about 13% of fatal crashes from 2016-2020 involved unlicensed drivers, most of whom had suspended licenses, per the state Traffic Safety Commission.
Zoom in: Amy Freedheim, chair of the felony traffic unit in the King County Prosecutor's Office, told a panel of lawmakers in March that requiring the speed-limiting devices will "allow us to control some of the outlandish speeds that we see."
- Freedheim cited the recent case of Chase Jones, who prosecutors said was driving 112 mph in a 40 mph zone when he struck a minivan near Renton, killing four people and injuring two others.
- Jones pleaded guilty to four counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of vehicular assault in April.
- The fatal collision marked the third time in a year that Jones had totaled a vehicle in a crash in which speed was a factor, the Seattle Times reported.
Between the lines: Freedheim compared the speed-limiting devices to ignition interlock devices, which, when installed on a vehicle, prevent someone who has been drinking alcohol from operating it.
What's next: People who are required to use the speed-limiting devices will have to pay for the cost of installing them, plus a fee of $21 per month.
- The state will use that money to help install the devices for people who can't afford them.