Car crash deaths in Washington reach highest levels in over 30 years after 10% increase

Daniel Schrager
·2 min read

Washington saw 810 traffic deaths in 2023, according to the state Traffic Safety Commission’s annual fatalities report which was released on May 13. That figure is up from 743 the previous year and the highest number of road deaths the state has recorded since 1990.

“810 is not just a shocking statistic. Every number represents a life lost. A lost family member. A lost co-worker. A lost friend. The people who mourn have had their lives changed forever,” Washington Traffic Safety Commission director Shelly Baldwin stated in the report.

157 of the people who died in car accidents were pedestrians, the highest figure the state has ever recorded in a single year. The 141 motorcyclists killed were also the most in a year on record.

Nearly half of the fatal crashes involved a driver under the influence of alcohol or drugs, while 251 involved speeding and 171 of the people who died weren’t wearing a seat belt. 135 of the crashes involved a distracted driver – a 36% increase from 2022.

“This trend is not just alarming – it’s unacceptable,” Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste stated in the report. “Driving sober, obeying the speed limit, avoiding distractions, and buckling up – these are all the safe choices – the right choices – that need to be made on our roadways.”

In total, 75% of the fatalities involved some form of high-risk driving. According to Baldwin, the bulk of serious crashes are preventable.

“Serious crashes are not accidents,” Baldwin said in the report. “We know what causes them and what can prevent them. The single most important safety feature of any vehicle is the driver.”

Traffic fatalities in Washington have increased each year since 2019, when the state saw 538 deaths according to the WTSC, and are up by nearly 51% since then. In 2020, the number of traffic deaths jumped by 6% to 574 before a 17% increase the following year brought the total to 674. Each of the past two years saw a 10% increase in traffic deaths from the previous year.