Fatal crash profile · County
Traffic deaths in Whatcom County, Washington
County in Washington · United States
- Deaths, 2024
- 12
- Fatal crashes
- 12
- Population
- 234.6K
In 2024, 12 people died in 12 fatal crashes in Whatcom County, Washington. That was 40.0% fewer than in 2023 (20) and the fewest since 2020. The death rate was 5.1 per 100,000 residents, compared with 9.2 in Washington and 11.5 in the United States. Whatcom County had the 15th most traffic deaths among Washington's counties. Between 2020 and 2024, 75 people died, an average of 15 a year. That rate is based on fewer than 20 deaths, so it can swing a lot from year to year. Pedestrians accounted for 33% of deaths, and 50% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
5.1
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024
- About 55 percent of the rate in Washington: 9.2
- About 45 percent of the rate in the United States: 11.5
6.5
average deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2020–2024
- About 70 percent of the average in Washington: 9.0
- About half the average in the United States: 12.3
-40%
change in deaths from 2023 to 2024
20 deaths in 2023, 12 in 2024
- Washington: -10%
- The United States: -4%
| Category | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 8 | 8 |
| 2021 | 19 | 16 |
| 2022 | 16 | 16 |
| 2023 | 20 | 19 |
| 2024 | 12 | 12 |
People who died within 30 days of a crash. A fatal crash can kill more than one person.
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| Category | Deaths per 100,000 |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 3.5 |
| 2021 | 8.4 |
| 2022 | 6.9 |
| 2023 | 8.6 |
| 2024 | 5.1 |
Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.
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Road users
Who died
33%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About 1.6 times the share in Washington: 21%
- About 1.8 times the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 5 |
| Pedestrians | 4 |
| Motorcyclists | 3 |
| Cyclists | 0 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Whatcom County | Share in Washington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 4 | 33% | 21% |
| Motorcyclists | 3 | 25% | 15% |
| Cyclists | 0 | 0% | 2% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 4 | 33% | 33% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 6 | 50% | 34% |
Alcohol-impaired and speeding-related count everyone killed in those crashes, so a death can appear in more than one row.
Crash factors
Speeding, alcohol, night and weekend crashes
50%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About 1.5 times the share in Washington: 33%
- About 1.8 times the share in the United States: 28%
33%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About 1.2 times the share in Washington: 27%
- About 1.3 times the share in the United States: 25%
| Category | Whatcom County | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 33.3% | 27.2% | 24.8% |
| Alcohol-involved | 50.0% | 32.9% | 28.1% |
| At night | 41.7% | 53.6% | 53.6% |
| At weekends | 8.3% | 30.6% | 32.6% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
42%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About three-quarters of the share in Washington: 54%
- About three-quarters of the share in the United States: 54%
8%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About 25 percent of the share in Washington: 31%
- About one-quarter of the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 3 |
| 1am | 1 |
| 2am | 1 |
| 3am | 2 |
| 4am | 1 |
| 5am | 2 |
| 6am | 3 |
| 7am | 1 |
| 8am | 2 |
| 9am | 2 |
| 10am | 0 |
| 11am | 3 |
| 12pm | 4 |
| 1pm | 2 |
| 2pm | 3 |
| 3pm | 2 |
| 4pm | 6 |
| 5pm | 5 |
| 6pm | 4 |
| 7pm | 5 |
| 8pm | 9 |
| 9pm | 3 |
| 10pm | 1 |
| 11pm | 6 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 10 |
| Mon | 7 |
| Tue | 15 |
| Wed | 7 |
| Thu | 12 |
| Fri | 11 |
| Sat | 9 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 6 |
| Feb | 5 |
| Mar | 3 |
| Apr | 4 |
| May | 5 |
| Jun | 6 |
| Jul | 7 |
| Aug | 7 |
| Sep | 7 |
| Oct | 7 |
| Nov | 7 |
| Dec | 7 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 44 |
| Cloudy | 12 |
| Rain | 8 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 3 |
| Other | 1 |
| Sleet or Hail | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 30 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 26 |
| Dark - Lighted | 11 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 2 |
| Dusk | 2 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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Roads and vehicles
Where and what, 2020–2024
Roads with the most fatal crashes
- I-511
- SR-5395
- CR-HANNEGAN RD4
- SR-94
- LAKEWAY DR3
- CR-SLATER RD3
- SR-5473
- SR-5462
- SR-5422
- MERIDIAN ST2
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 50 |
| Pickup trucks | 17 |
| Motorcycles | 15 |
| SUVs | 12 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 7 |
| Vans | 4 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Ford F-1504
- Dodge Ram3
- Subaru Legacy3
- Toyota Corolla3
- Chevrolet Colorado2
- Chevrolet Express2
- Chevrolet Silverado2
- Dodge Dakota2
- Honda Accord2
- Honda Civic2
Reflects how common a vehicle is as well as crash involvement; not a safety rating.
Crashes
Fatal crashes
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Fatal crashes in 2024. Crashes without reported coordinates are not shown.
Filter crashes
| Date | Location | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 8, 2024 | — | CR-HANNEGAN RD | 1 |
| Oct 31, 2024 | — | CR-S PASS RD | 1 |
| Oct 31, 2024 | Bellingham | I-5 | 1 |
| Aug 30, 2024 | — | CR-LIMESTONE RD | 1 |
| Aug 16, 2024 | Ferndale | I-5 RAMP | 1 |
| Aug 2, 2024 | — | CR-PORTAL WAY | 1 |
| Jul 31, 2024 | Bellingham | MU-NEWMARKET ST | 1 |
| Jul 17, 2024 | — | SR-9 | 1 |
| Jun 16, 2024 | — | SR-539 | 1 |
| May 10, 2024 | — | SR-539 | 1 |
| Apr 23, 2024 | — | CR-DELTA LINE RD | 1 |
| Jan 10, 2024 | Bellingham | CR-LUMMI SHORE RD | 1 |
| Dec 28, 2023 | Bellingham | MU-SQUALICUM WAY | 2 |
| Dec 6, 2023 | Bellingham | I-5 | 1 |
| Nov 20, 2023 | — | SR-542 | 1 |
| Oct 22, 2023 | Bellingham | MU-N SAMISH WAY | 1 |
| Oct 7, 2023 | — | SR-9 | 1 |
| Oct 1, 2023 | — | CR-HANNEGAN RD | 1 |
| Sep 19, 2023 | — | CR-W SMITH RD | 1 |
| Aug 31, 2023 | — | CR-HANNEGAN RD | 1 |
| Aug 26, 2023 | — | SR-539 | 1 |
| Jul 30, 2023 | — | SR-547 | 1 |
| Jun 6, 2023 | — | SR-548 | 1 |
| May 8, 2023 | — | CR-LAKE WHATCOM BLVD | 1 |
| Apr 8, 2023 | — | CR-BIRCH BAY LYNDEN RD | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Cities in Whatcom County
| Area | Deaths, 2024 | Per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Bellingham | 3 | 3.1 |
Nearby counties
Get updates for Whatcom County, Washington
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Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020–2024. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.