Gov. Bob Ferguson has signed into law a bill introduced by a Mid-Columbia lawmaker to address dangerous areas on state roadways after repeated fatal crashes at an intersection north of the Tri-Cities. 

Ferguson signed the bill, ESSSB 6066, during a ceremony on March 20 in Yakima, according to a release. Sponsored by state Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, the bill will allow local governments and the state Department of Transportation to designate crash prevention zones, which will require agencies to study the area and make necessary safety improvements, from signage to long-term infrastructure upgrades. 

“This is about responding when the data is clear and the need is urgent,” Torres said in a statement. “In communities like mine, we’ve seen too many lives lost on the same stretches of road. When a roadway becomes a predictable site of tragedy, we have a responsibility to act.” 

Torres introduced the legislation following a deadly crash along Highway 395 between Pasco and Mesa, where multiple lives have been lost in recent years. State Rep. Mark Klicker, R-Walla Walla, introduced similar legislation in the House. 

In November 2025, a Kahlotus City Council member died in a crash at the Vineyard Drive intersection of Highway 395 in Franklin County. Then, on Christmas, a family of three – a mother, father and their infant – died in a crash on Highway 12 between Walla Walla and Wallula Junction. 

Under the new law, which will take effect in June, once a crash prevention zone is established, jurisdictions must conduct an engineering and traffic investigation to identify safety improvements. Law enforcement agencies will also coordinate increased traffic enforcement within designated zones, and automated traffic safety cameras may be used to detect speeding. Revenue generated from those cameras must be reinvested into safety improvements within the zone. 

The law also increases penalties for using a personal electronic device while driving within a crash prevention zone, reinforcing efforts to reduce distracted driving in high-risk areas. 

Once safety issues are addressed, the zone designation will dissolve. 

The measure passed the Legislature with strong bipartisan support, receiving final approval in the Senate on a 48–1 vote after clearing the House 94–2.