Law enforcement officials and citizens joined state legislators at a transportation committee hearing Tuesday in the state Capitol to weigh in on a bill that would double fines for road injuries and deaths where the victim is deemed a “vulnerable highway user.”
The bill, authored by state Sen. Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, lists a number of users that are deemed vulnerable on roadways, such as pedestrians, bicyclists and law enforcement officials on duty.
Olsen, who testified for the bill at the hearing, said the current state law does not allow district attorneys and other law enforcement officials to sufficiently punish people who kill or injure vulnerable users.
The senator emphasized the fines and potential jail time the bill could impose would not be mandatory but would simply be an option if officials wanted to use them. He also said the bill would require a driver’s education component where students would be required to learn about the presence and potential danger of driving with vulnerable users.
Other residents and officials who testified at the hearing told stories of victims who had been riding bicycles and been injured or killed on a roadway. Several law enforcement officials suggested updates to the bill, such as a component where offenders could lose their license, or one that would make sure the bill includes all negligent actions, such as falling asleep, that are committed on a roadway.
State Rep. Josh Zepnick, D-Milwaukee, also testified for the bill, saying it is a “common sense” change.
“I look forward to continuing to work in a bipartisan way to make this bill become a reality in the near future,” Zepnick said.
