Washington eyes speed-limiting tech for reckless drivers after Renton crash kills 4
Lawmakers in Washington state are moving to require GPS-based speed-limiting devices for repeat traffic offenders, using the case of a teen driver who caused a fatal high-speed crash in Renton as a powerful example.
The technology, known as Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), prevents vehicles from exceeding the posted speed limit by using GPS to track location and adjust speed accordingly. An override button may be included for emergencies, but any use of it can be reported to authorities.
The move comes amid a national push to curb excessive speeding, which has contributed to a rise in traffic fatalities across the country. Washington joins a growing list of jurisdictions — including Virginia, Washington, D.C., and potentially California and New York — considering laws to mandate or allow ISA devices for the most dangerous drivers.
In March 2024, Chase Daniel Jones, 19, was driving 112 mph when he ran a red light and crashed into a minivan in Renton, killing 38-year-old Andrea Hudson and three children she was transporting for a homeschool co-op: Boyd 'Buster' Brown, 12; Eloise Wilcoxson, 12; and Matilda Wilcoxson, 13. Hudson's two children survived with serious injuries.
Jones had totaled two other cars in the year before the fatal crash. Although he had no speeding citations on his record, he told authorities he was 'addicted to speed.'
A King County judge sentenced Jones to more than 17 years in prison and imposed a unique condition: when Jones is released and becomes eligible to drive again, he must use a speed-limiting device in his vehicle.
Washington state lawmakers recently passed the BEAM Act — named after the four Renton crash victims — which would allow or require courts to impose ISA technology on high-risk drivers whose licenses are reinstated. Gov. Bob Ferguson is expected to sign it into law.
Rep. Mari Leavitt, who sponsored the bill, said it offers a solution for curbing extreme speeding behavior that license suspensions alone don't address. Studies show that many people continue to drive illegally after having their licenses revoked.
'I guess I don't understand why someone is compelled to want to drive that fast,' Leavitt said. 'But if they choose to drive that fast with the speed limiter, they can't. It's going to stop them in their tracks.'
Between 2019 and 2024, the number of Washington drivers cited for going more than 50 mph over the speed limit increased by 200%, according to the state's Traffic Safety Commission.
Several companies, including Grapevine, Texas-based Smart Start and Cincinnati-based LifeSafer, are working with lawmakers to expand ISA use. The technology has already been tested in school buses and government fleets in Washington, D.C. Officials say improvements in satellite coverage have made real-time speed detection more reliable.
The devices are expected to cost about $4 per day, plus a $100 installation fee, though reduced rates may be available for low-income offenders.
Amy Cohen, who co-founded the advocacy group Families for Safe Streets after her son was killed by a speeding driver, supports the adoption of speed-limiting technology nationwide.
'When you are going a few miles slower, there's more time to stop,' Cohen said. 'And when you hit somebody, it's much less likely to be deadly.'
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