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Short briefing held on unattended‑vehicle bill; sponsor links transportation funding to local bridge issues
Summary
Committee staff summarized ESSB 5081, which would require drivers to turn off engines, remove keys and set brakes before leaving a vehicle and addresses remote starter exceptions; the bill drew brief sponsor remarks about transportation funding and local bridge needs, and the public hearing was later suspended.
Committee staff briefed Engrossed Senate Bill 5081, a proposal that would prohibit a person driving or in charge of a motor vehicle from permitting it to stand unattended without first turning the engine off, removing the ignition key and setting the vehicle’s brake. The bill requires that on grades the front wheels be turned toward the curb or side of the roadway and excludes a vehicle started by a remote starter system from being considered unattended if the vehicle is locked and the keys are not inside. The bill also specifies that a person who starts a vehicle by remote starter and later learns the vehicle caused collision or injury would be required to comply with the same duties as the driver who most recently left the vehicle unattended.
Jennifer Harris, committee staff, summarized the bill and told the panel no fiscal impact was anticipated. Senator Fortunato, the prime sponsor, offered a short remarks urging passage and framed the bill as a public‑safety measure; he also discussed local bridge impacts in his district and broader transportation‑funding challenges. The public hearing on ESSB 5081 was later paused and the committee moved to other items; the chair noted the hearing would be resumed at a later point.
