Transportation Washington traffic deaths down after record year

Coming off a 33-year high, deaths on Washington’s roads dropped nearly 10% last year, according to state data released Wednesday.

The state saw 731 people die in vehicle crashes in 2024, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission’s preliminary data. That’s down from 743 in 2022 and 809 in 2023, the most since 1990. But it’s still well above levels in the 500 range recorded annually from 2015 through 2020.

“This is obviously a welcome change to see our annual fatality numbers decline after experiencing large increases over the previous four years,” Shelly Baldwin, the commission’s director, said in a press release. Baldwin added, “We still have a lot of work to do to further reduce these historically high fatality numbers.”

Drivers impaired by drugs or alcohol were involved in about half of the fatalities, a figure that could rise as crash evidence continues to be gathered. Speeding was a factor in about one-third. Among fatalities involving fast drivers, impairment was also a factor in 62%.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/05/28/washington-traffic-deaths-down-after-record-year/