WASHINGTON — Deadly traffic crashes have decreased in Washington in the last year, but are still high overall, a new report from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) said.
In 2024, there were 731 people killed in traffic crashes on Washington roads, a 9.6% decrease from 2023 numbers.
However, at the same time, the preliminary total for 2024 is 36% higher than the number of people killed on Washington roads in 2019.
“Traffic enforcement efforts have increased statewide, resulting in larger numbers of traffic stops for speeding, distraction, and suspected driver impairment. Enforcement fell dramatically during and immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic. Some cities have also increased their use of automated enforcement for speeding, particularly in school zones and in other areas where pedestrians travel,” WTSC said in its report.
Since 2015, the state saw its lowest number of people killed in crashes in 2019, with 538 reported.
“This is obviously a welcome change to see our annual fatality numbers decline after experiencing large increases over the previous four years. Law enforcement and other traffic safety partners have worked hard to reverse the deadly trend we experienced in 2020-2023. And we still have a lot of work to do to further reduce these historically high fatality numbers,” said Shelly Baldwin, director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.
Driver impairment by alcohol and/or other drugs remains the most common risk factor involved in fatal crashes.
The initial total involving impaired driving was 348 traffic deaths, which represents 48 percent of all fatalities.
This number often rises as additional evidence is processed and recorded in these cases. Final numbers will be released in late 2025 or early 2026.
Speed remains another major factor in fatal crashes, as excessive speed increases both the likelihood and severity of a crash. In 2024, 247 people were killed in crashes involving excessive speed, which represented 34 percent of all fatalities. There is a substantial overlap in crashes involving both speed and impaired driving. Among fatalities involving excessive speed, 62 percent also involved an impaired driver.
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