GHSA maintains data on state laws surrounding a number of highway safety issues. Below is information regarding laws in the District of Columbia. For more information, consult the State Highway Safety Office.
Bicycle helmets required for all riders under 16.
Universal helmet law enacted 1970.
5 years
70 and over: no electronic renewal; medical certification required
55
55
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
.20, .25 and .30
2-90 days or until deposition
Yes
Mandatory for all convictions
Yes
Yes
Under 2 yrs or under 40 lbs in rear-facing child restraint
2–3 yrs old and under 30 lbs in forward-facing child restraint in the back seat
Under 8 yrs old and under 57” tall in a child restraint or booster seat in the back seat
8-15 yrs
18 years
16
6
40 (10 in intermediate stage)
16 / 6
September through June: 11 p.m. - 6 a.m. (Sun-Thurs); Midnight - 6 a.m. (Fri-Sat) July through August: midnight - 6 a.m.
First 6 months: no passengers Thereafter: No more than 2 passengers under 21
Primary
16 and over
All
Yes. Primary law.
Yes. Primary law.
Drivers with learner's permit. Primary law.
All drivers. Primary law.
Permitted by district law
Citywide
Permitted by district law
Citywide
None
Decriminalized and legal for recreational and medical use
None
The Governors Highway Association (GHSA) is seeking a full-time Grants & Program Manager. This individual is responsible for the day-to-day management of GHSA’s federal and private sector grant programs and the development, execution, and monitoring of Consultant Service Initiative (CSI) contracts. Duties include:
Through a grant from GHSA and General Motors, the District of Columbia Highway Safety Office implemented a three-pronged program to address the issue of distracted driving in the nation’s capital.
Serving as the primary liaison between the Highway Safety Office, the DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Federal law enforcement agencies, and local/regional law enforcement agencies, this new full-time position will lead planning, implementation, and evaluation of District-wide mobility safety enforcement efforts. This position will report to the Executive Director of the Washington DC Police Foundation.
The District’s police department is dedicating five officers solely to street traffic enforcement, a new initiative responding to record-high fatalities on city streets, officials said Tuesday. Rick Birt, director of the city’s Highway Safety Office, said that with the right training and policies, “we can do traffic enforcement equitably.” He added that “the vast majority of residents want safe streets. … They want people to be out there changing behavior.”
GHSA and Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Ford Motor Company, are building upon a decades-long focus on youth traffic safety by awarding a total of $100,000 in grants to advance access to safe mobility for teens in underserved areas, even if a car isn’t part of their journey. Additionally, the Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) program, which provides free, advanced, hands-on driver education, is returning for a 21st year in 2024 with an expanded focus on protecting pedestrians, bicyclists, scooter riders and others outside the vehicle.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2024
CONTACT: Adam Snider (GHSA), 202-580-7930, 202-365-8971 (after hours)
RoNeisha Mullen (Ford), 248-234-1365
Organizations provide $100,000 in grants to Montana and the District of Columbia, celebrate third decade of free, hands-on novice driver training program
There are two new mobile traffic safety devices that will be used to detect distracted driving and flash a warning to drivers in D.C.
Atlanta, Denver, Indianapolis, Washington, DC, Raleigh, North Carolina, and other major cities have recently proposed or passed laws banning it in parts of their busy downtowns or citywide. They believe it will protect people walking and biking amid the highest number of pedestrian fatalities in more than 40 years. Right turns on red “introduce extra movements into the intersection,” said Eric Dumbaugh, a professor in the department of urban and regional planning at Florida Atlantic University who studies traffic safety.
The US Governors Highway Safety Association has awarded two grants - of $87,500 each - to help reduce distracted driving in the District of Columbia and Washington state. Partnering with General Motors (GM), GHSA is awarding the money to the state highway safety office in DC and Washington to create and evaluate local distracted driving prevention programmes. Last year, the organisations awarded $210,000 in grants to seven SHSOs.
GHSA and General Motors (GM) are advancing their work together to end the persistent and deadly problem of distracted driving by supporting innovative new ways to address this dangerous behavior. GHSA is awarding two grants to create and evaluate local distracted driving prevention programs in the District of Columbia and Washington state. A third grant is supporting youth journalists in diverse and underserved communities who will highlight how distracted driving endangers everyone on the road.
