Fatal crash profile · City
Traffic deaths in Bellingham, Washington
City in Whatcom County · Washington · United States
- Deaths, 2024
- 3
- Fatal crashes
- 3
- Population
- 95.7K
In 2024, 3 people died in 3 fatal crashes in Bellingham, Washington. That was 50.0% fewer than in 2023 (6). The death rate was 3.1 per 100,000 residents, compared with 5.1 in Whatcom County, 9.2 in Washington and 11.5 in the United States. Between 2021 and 2024, 26 people died, an average of 6.5 a year. That rate is based on fewer than 20 deaths, so it can swing a lot from year to year. Pedestrians accounted for 67% of deaths, and 33% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
3.1
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024
- About 60 percent of the rate in Whatcom County, Washington: 5.1
- About one-third of the rate in Washington: 9.2
- About 25 percent of the rate in the United States: 11.5
-50%
change in deaths from 2023 to 2024
6 deaths in 2023, 3 in 2024
- Whatcom County, Washington: -40%
- Washington: -10%
- The United States: -4%
| Category | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 9 | 8 |
| 2022 | 8 | 8 |
| 2023 | 6 | 5 |
| 2024 | 3 | 3 |
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 |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 10.0 |
| 2022 | 8.5 |
| 2023 | 6.3 |
| 2024 | 3.1 |
Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.
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Road users
Who died
67%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About double the share in Whatcom County, Washington: 33%
- About 3 times the share in Washington: 21%
- About 4 times the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 0 |
| Pedestrians | 2 |
| Motorcyclists | 1 |
| Cyclists | 0 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Bellingham | Share in Whatcom County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 2 | 67% | 33% |
| Motorcyclists | 1 | 33% | 25% |
| Cyclists | 0 | 0% | 0% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 1 | 33% | 33% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 1 | 33% | 50% |
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
33%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About two-thirds of the share in Whatcom County, Washington: 50%
- About the same as the share in Washington: 33%
- About 1.2 times the share in the United States: 28%
33%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About the same as the share in Whatcom County, Washington: 33%
- About 1.2 times the share in Washington: 27%
- About 1.3 times the share in the United States: 25%
| Category | Bellingham | Whatcom County | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 33.3% | 33.3% | 27.2% | 24.8% |
| Alcohol-involved | 33.3% | 50.0% | 32.9% | 28.1% |
| At night | 33.3% | 41.7% | 53.6% | 53.6% |
| At weekends | 0.0% | 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
33%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About 80 percent of the share in Whatcom County, Washington: 42%
- About two-thirds of the share in Washington: 54%
- About two-thirds of the share in the United States: 54%
0%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About 5 percent of the share in Whatcom County, Washington: 8%
- About 5 percent of the share in Washington: 31%
- About 5 percent of the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 3 |
| 1am | 0 |
| 2am | 0 |
| 3am | 0 |
| 4am | 0 |
| 5am | 0 |
| 6am | 1 |
| 7am | 1 |
| 8am | 1 |
| 9am | 1 |
| 10am | 0 |
| 11am | 0 |
| 12pm | 1 |
| 1pm | 1 |
| 2pm | 0 |
| 3pm | 0 |
| 4pm | 2 |
| 5pm | 0 |
| 6pm | 1 |
| 7pm | 4 |
| 8pm | 5 |
| 9pm | 1 |
| 10pm | 1 |
| 11pm | 1 |
All crashes 2021–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 3 |
| Mon | 2 |
| Tue | 3 |
| Wed | 4 |
| Thu | 6 |
| Fri | 3 |
| Sat | 3 |
All crashes 2021–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 3 |
| Feb | 2 |
| Mar | 0 |
| Apr | 0 |
| May | 1 |
| Jun | 1 |
| Jul | 2 |
| Aug | 0 |
| Sep | 5 |
| Oct | 3 |
| Nov | 3 |
| Dec | 4 |
All crashes 2021–2024.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 14 |
| Rain | 4 |
| Cloudy | 3 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 1 |
| Other | 1 |
All crashes 2021–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Dark - Lighted | 10 |
| Daylight | 7 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 6 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 1 |
All crashes 2021–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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Roads and vehicles
Where and what, 2021–2024
Roads with the most fatal crashes
- I-56
- LAKEWAY DR3
- MERIDIAN ST2
- MU-SQUALICUM WAY1
- JAMES ST1
- LINCOLN ST1
- MU-N SAMISH WAY1
- MU-NEWMARKET ST1
- MU-S SAMISH WAY1
- SR-5391
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 18 |
| SUVs | 7 |
| Motorcycles | 6 |
| Pickup trucks | 3 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 1 |
All crashes 2021–2024.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Honda CR-V2
- Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class2
- Saturn Ion2
- Toyota PRIUS2
- Acura TL1
- BMW M41
- BMW R 1200 GS1
- Chevrolet Cobalt1
- Chevrolet Suburban1
- Dodge Charger1
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 | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 31, 2024 | I-5 | 1 |
| Jul 31, 2024 | MU-NEWMARKET ST | 1 |
| Jan 10, 2024 | CR-LUMMI SHORE RD | 1 |
| Dec 28, 2023 | MU-SQUALICUM WAY | 2 |
| Dec 6, 2023 | I-5 | 1 |
| Oct 22, 2023 | MU-N SAMISH WAY | 1 |
| Feb 18, 2023 | MU-S SAMISH WAY | 1 |
| Jan 6, 2023 | SR-539 | 1 |
| Dec 31, 2022 | I-5 | 1 |
| Oct 6, 2022 | I-5 | 1 |
| Sep 10, 2022 | LAKEWAY DR | 1 |
| Jul 21, 2022 | LINCOLN ST | 1 |
| Jun 30, 2022 | I-5 | 1 |
| May 6, 2022 | BAKER CREEK PL | 1 |
| Feb 21, 2022 | LAKEWAY DR | 1 |
| Jan 24, 2022 | TELEGRAPH RD | 1 |
| Dec 24, 2021 | W BAKERVIEW RD | 1 |
| Nov 14, 2021 | LAKEWAY DR | 2 |
| Nov 7, 2021 | JAMES ST | 1 |
| Nov 2, 2021 | I-5 | 1 |
| Sep 28, 2021 | YEW ST | 1 |
| Sep 28, 2021 | SR-542 | 1 |
| Sep 22, 2021 | MERIDIAN ST | 1 |
| Sep 9, 2021 | MERIDIAN ST | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2021–2024. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.