SEATTLE — The state House Transportation Committee met Thursday to discuss a bill that would require teens under age 19 to have a "new driver" decal on the passenger side of their back windows.
The bill describes the proposed decals as being 12 inches wide and 4 inches tall, with white lettering on a red background.
It also states the penalty for not having one could be up to $250.Lawmakers behind the bill say young drivers are involved in a disproportionate number of traffic accidents and fatalities in the state, and this is an effort to reduce these accident rates by alerting other drivers to keep a safe distance.
“We have an opportunity to save thousands of lives a year on Washington highways, and I think this is a really good step in that direction,” said Rep. Liz Pike, R-Camas, who is sponsoring the bill.
She cited a study that showed after a similar law was passed in New Jersey in 2010, the rate of crashes involving teens decreased by almost 10 percent.But others dispute the numbers, including opponents of the law in New Jersey who tried to repeal it.
They argued the decals make teens a target for harassment.
Pike said that as long as even one life is saved, the rule is worth it.KIRO 7 asked teenage drivers whether they would want such a decal in their cars.Joseph Ethington said he’d like it, to “just let people know that I'm still learning, so don't rush me.”
But fellow student Ethan Axton said, “Even if I'm driving perfectly, they'll still judge me on my 'new driver' sticker, which is absolutely ridiculous.”
One of the owners of 911 Driving School, Robert Hensley, said he doesn’t feel harassment would be an issue. He said people are generally very mindful of "student driver" signs and give them more room.
“More information is better than no information. Plenty of parents come to us asking for stickers or magnets or something, to put on the car,” Hensley said.
But he said he also thinks the decals would be a good idea for any driver, not just teenagers.
Hensley said while teenagers are subject to 50 hours of driving experience among other requirements, adults have no such requirements.“In fact, I’ve had an adult sit with me in the car and ask which one was the brake,” he said.But Pike is focused on teens exclusively at the moment.
She said, “Their brains are still developing, and study after study shows they have a tendency toward more high-risk behavior.”
The bill was discussed in the House Transportation Committee hearing Thursday, and the committee will vote Monday on whether it should advance further in the legislative process.
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