Fatal crash profile · State
Traffic deaths in Washington in 2021
State in United States
- Deaths, 2021
- 674
- Fatal crashes
- 607
- Population
- 7.7M
In 2021, 674 people died in 607 fatal crashes in Washington. That was 17.4% more than in 2020 (574) and the most since 1997. The death rate was 8.7 per 100,000 residents, compared with 13.0 in the United States. Washington had the 25th most traffic deaths of the 51 states and DC and the 42nd-highest death rate. Pedestrians accounted for 21% of deaths, and 30% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
Road users
Who died
21%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About 1.2 times the share in the United States: 17%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 425 |
| Pedestrians | 143 |
| Motorcyclists | 92 |
| Cyclists | 14 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Washington | Share in the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 143 | 21% | 17% |
| Motorcyclists | 92 | 14% | 14% |
| Cyclists | 14 | 2% | 2% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 261 | 39% | 31% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 207 | 31% | 29% |
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
30%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About the same as the share in the United States: 28%
29%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About 1.1 times the share in the United States: 26%
| Category | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 29.5% | 26.3% |
| Alcohol-involved | 30.5% | 28.2% |
| At night | 52.9% | 53.9% |
| At weekends | 29.7% | 32.8% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
53%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About the same as the share in the United States: 54%
30%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About the same as the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 34 |
| 1am | 19 |
| 2am | 23 |
| 3am | 21 |
| 4am | 10 |
| 5am | 13 |
| 6am | 22 |
| 7am | 18 |
| 8am | 9 |
| 9am | 19 |
| 10am | 17 |
| 11am | 20 |
| 12pm | 20 |
| 1pm | 26 |
| 2pm | 20 |
| 3pm | 39 |
| 4pm | 43 |
| 5pm | 33 |
| 6pm | 38 |
| 7pm | 43 |
| 8pm | 33 |
| 9pm | 30 |
| 10pm | 32 |
| 11pm | 25 |
All crashes 2021.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 91 |
| Mon | 95 |
| Tue | 82 |
| Wed | 76 |
| Thu | 75 |
| Fri | 99 |
| Sat | 89 |
All crashes 2021.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 38 |
| Feb | 25 |
| Mar | 41 |
| Apr | 36 |
| May | 44 |
| Jun | 63 |
| Jul | 58 |
| Aug | 72 |
| Sep | 62 |
| Oct | 60 |
| Nov | 60 |
| Dec | 48 |
All crashes 2021.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 381 |
| Cloudy | 115 |
| Rain | 80 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 9 |
| Snow | 7 |
| Severe Crosswinds | 4 |
All crashes 2021. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 279 |
| Dark - Lighted | 143 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 131 |
| Dusk | 22 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 11 |
| Dawn | 11 |
All crashes 2021. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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Roads and vehicles
Where and what, 2021
Roads with the most fatal crashes
- I-541
- SR-9917
- I-9015
- US-9710
- US-1019
- US-29
- US-3959
- I-829
- SR-79
- US-129
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 383 |
| SUVs | 186 |
| Pickup trucks | 144 |
| Motorcycles | 96 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 93 |
| Vans | 29 |
| Other vehicles | 21 |
| Buses | 3 |
| Other light trucks | 2 |
All crashes 2021.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Ford F-15025
- Toyota Camry25
- Honda Civic23
- Honda Accord20
- Chevrolet Silverado19
- Freightliner Cascadia18
- Dodge Ram16
- Ford F-35012
- Ford Ranger12
- Honda CR-V12
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 2021. Crashes without reported coordinates are not shown.
Filter crashes
| Date | Location | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 23, 2021 | Seatac, King County | MILITARY RD S | 3 |
| Jun 23, 2021 | Whatcom County | SR-9 | 1 |
| Jun 22, 2021 | Franklin County | CR-COLUMBIA RIVER RD | 1 |
| Jun 22, 2021 | Spokane Valley, Spokane County | E SPRAGUE AVE | 1 |
| Jun 22, 2021 | Skagit County | CR-CONCRETE SAUK VALLEY RD | 1 |
| Jun 22, 2021 | Cowlitz County | I-5 | 1 |
| Jun 22, 2021 | Spokane, Spokane County | SR-290 | 1 |
| Jun 21, 2021 | Pierce County | SR-7 | 1 |
| Jun 20, 2021 | Kitsap County | SR-16 | 1 |
| Jun 18, 2021 | Snohomish County | SR-203 | 1 |
| Jun 18, 2021 | Pierce County | SR-167 | 1 |
| Jun 18, 2021 | Seattle, King County | SR-509 | 1 |
| Jun 18, 2021 | Lewis County | US-12 | 1 |
| Jun 15, 2021 | Seattle, King County | MARTIN LUTHER KING JR WAY S | 1 |
| Jun 15, 2021 | Pierce County | CR-SPANAWAY LOOP RD S | 1 |
| Jun 15, 2021 | Clark County | SR-500 | 1 |
| Jun 15, 2021 | Federal Way, King County | SR-99 | 2 |
| Jun 14, 2021 | Snohomish County | SR-99 | 2 |
| Jun 14, 2021 | Clark County | SR-503 | 3 |
| Jun 13, 2021 | Grant County | I-90 | 1 |
| Jun 13, 2021 | Grant County | CR-DODSON RD | 1 |
| Jun 13, 2021 | Seattle, King County | I-5 | 1 |
| Jun 13, 2021 | Spokane County | CR-BELMONT RD | 1 |
| Jun 12, 2021 | Island County | CR-RACE RD | 1 |
| Jun 12, 2021 | Pierce County | CR-SPANAWAY LOOP RD S | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Counties in Washington in 2021
| Area | Deaths, 2021 | Per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 6 | 29.1 |
| Asotin County | 0 | — |
| Benton County | 20 | 9.5 |
| Chelan County | 7 | 8.8 |
| Clallam County | 10 | 12.7 |
| Clark County | 36 | 7.0 |
| Columbia County | 0 | — |
| Cowlitz County | 15 | 13.4 |
| Douglas County | 4 | 9.1 |
| Ferry County | 4 | 54.9 |
| Franklin County | 9 | 9.2 |
| Garfield County | 2 | 85.2 |
| Grant County | 22 | 21.9 |
| Grays Harbor County | 14 | 18.2 |
| Island County | 6 | 6.8 |
| Jefferson County | 4 | 11.9 |
| King County | 137 | 6.1 |
| Kitsap County | 17 | 6.1 |
| Kittitas County | 3 | 6.6 |
| Klickitat County | 0 | — |
| Lewis County | 8 | 9.5 |
| Lincoln County | 3 | 26.6 |
| Mason County | 10 | 14.9 |
| Okanogan County | 6 | 14.0 |
| Pacific County | 1 | 4.2 |
| Pend Oreille County | 3 | 21.6 |
| Pierce County | 98 | 10.6 |
| San Juan County | 3 | 16.1 |
| Skagit County | 13 | 9.9 |
| Skamania County | 3 | 24.6 |
| Snohomish County | 38 | 4.5 |
| Spokane County | 57 | 10.4 |
| Stevens County | 6 | 12.6 |
| Thurston County | 24 | 8.0 |
| Wahkiakum County | 0 | — |
| Walla Walla County | 4 | 6.4 |
| Whatcom County | 19 | 8.4 |
| Whitman County | 4 | 9.2 |
| Yakima County | 58 | 22.6 |
Rankings
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Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2021. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.