At the second hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee of Senate Bill 5838, known by advocates as the Vulnerable Roadway Users bill, committee chair Sen. Adam Kline (D-Seattle) said the bill is likely to pass.
Kline took brief testimony from two proponents of the bill, one a woman who told of a traumatizing experience being hit by a vehicle while crossing the street. When Kline said that no one attending the meeting had signed up to testify in opposition, an Olympia man rose to speak against the bill, although he had not planned to and said he had not read it thoroughly.
S.B. 5838 would create a new traffic infraction with stricter penalties for negligent drivers who strike a pedestrian or cyclist. ("Pedestrians, bicyclists want harsher penalties," Nov. 11-17, 2009).
--Julia Cechvala