| Data years | 2020-2024[1][2][3][4][5] |
|---|---|
| Deaths in car accidents, 2020-2024 | 3,087[1][2][3][4][5] |
| Deaths in car accidents, 2024 | 647[5] |
| Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents | 7.9[1][2][3][4][5][6] |
| Population, July 1, 2024 (estimate) | 7,927,958[6] |
| 2024 data file | FARS Annual Report File[5] |
Washington recorded 3,087 car accident deaths from 2020 through 2024, accounting for 87.5% of the state's 3,530 traffic deaths during that period. In 2024, the car accident death count was 647, representing 88.6% of the 730 traffic deaths recorded that year. These counts describe deaths in crashes that happened in Washington, regardless of where the people who died lived.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
A car accident here means a fatal crash involving at least one passenger car, SUV, pickup or van. The death count includes everyone killed in those crashes, across the person categories listed in the table. Washington car accident statistics use NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System for fatal crash records and Census Bureau population estimates for population-based rates.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Contents
Car accident deaths in Washington by year
Car accident deaths increased from 503 in 2020 to 592 in 2021 and 644 in 2022. The count reached 701 in 2023, the highest year in the period, before falling to 647 in 2024. The lowest count was 503 in 2020. Comparing the endpoints, the 2024 count was 144 deaths higher than the 2020 count.[1][2][3][4][5]
Washington's share of the U.S. car accident death total was 1.5% in 2020, 1.6% in 2021, 1.8% in 2022, 2.0% in 2023 and 1.9% in 2024. Across 2020 through 2024, Washington accounted for 1.8% of the national total of 176,219 deaths. The 2024 figures remain subject to revision.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Year | Deaths in car accidents | All traffic deaths | Share in car accidents | Share of U.S. total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 503 | 574 | 87.6% | 1.5% |
| 2021 | 592 | 674 | 87.8% | 1.6% |
| 2022 | 644 | 743 | 86.7% | 1.8% |
| 2023 | 701 | 809 | 86.7% | 2.0% |
| 2024 | 647 | 730 | 88.6% | 1.9% |
2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised when NHTSA publishes the final file.
Who died in Washington car accidents
People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans accounted for 2,070 deaths, or 67.1%, the largest share of car accident deaths during 2020 through 2024. People in other vehicles accounted for 348 deaths, or 11.3%, the smallest of the listed person categories. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) accounted for 669 deaths, or 21.7%.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Each category counts deaths in fatal crashes involving a passenger vehicle. The categories describe the people killed within that selected set of crashes. They do not restrict the death count to people occupying the passenger vehicles involved.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Collision types and setting
Manner of collision describes the first harmful event. Angle (side impact) accounted for 651 deaths; Head-on, 434; Rear-end, 189; Sideswipe, 88; Other, 9; and Unknown, 2. Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport accounted for 1,714 deaths. That row includes events such as rollovers or impacts with fixed objects or parked vehicles. Vehicles in transport can be stopped in traffic; physical movement is not the test.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Daytime car accident deaths numbered 1,416 (45.9%); nighttime deaths numbered 1,671 (54.1%). The land-use breakdown recorded 1,839 urban deaths (59.6%), 1,222 rural deaths (39.6%) and 26 deaths with unknown land use (0.8%).[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Counties with the most car accident deaths
King County recorded the most car accident deaths during 2020 through 2024, with 634, followed by Pierce County with 422. Spokane County recorded 226 deaths, Snohomish County 219 and Yakima County 215. The listed counts also include Clark County with 169, Grant County with 112 and Thurston County with 102.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Benton County recorded 89 deaths, Kitsap County 83, Mason County 73, Skagit County 67, Whatcom County 66, Cowlitz County 65 and Kittitas County 46. These are counts by crash county. Rates describe a different measure: average annual deaths per 100,000 residents. Among the listed counties, Grant County had the highest rate at 22.0, while Snohomish County had the lowest at 5.2. These rate rankings do not extend to all Washington counties.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
| County | Deaths, 2020-2024 | Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| King County | 634 | 5.6 |
| Pierce County | 422 | 9.1 |
| Spokane County | 226 | 8.2 |
| Snohomish County | 219 | 5.2 |
| Yakima County | 215 | 16.7 |
| Clark County | 169 | 6.5 |
| Grant County | 112 | 22.0 |
| Thurston County | 102 | 6.8 |
| Benton County | 89 | 8.4 |
| Kitsap County | 83 | 6.0 |
| Mason County | 73 | 21.5 |
| Skagit County | 67 | 10.2 |
| Whatcom County | 66 | 5.7 |
| Cowlitz County | 65 | 11.6 |
| Kittitas County | 46 | 19.5 |
Up to 15 counties with the most deaths in the period, largest first. Rates for counties with few deaths change sharply with each death.
How Washington compares with the national rate
Washington's car accident death rate was 7.9, compared with the national rate of 10.5. Both figures measure average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. Washington's rate was lower than the U.S. rate. The corresponding death counts were 3,087 for Washington and 176,219 for the United States.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
The calculation uses the sum of annual Census Bureau population estimates for the period. Washington's separately reported July 1, 2024 population estimate of 7,927,958 is not the denominator for this rate. The rates do not adjust for miles driven or visitors. When reading with a car accident lawyer in mind, keep the grouping clear: deaths are assigned by crash location.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
About these figures
FARS is NHTSA's census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Inclusion requires a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and an occupant or nonoccupant dying within 30 days. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. State and county counts follow crash location, not residence. Data for 2020 through 2023 are Final Files; the 2024 Annual Report File may change when finalized.[8][6][7]
Rates divide deaths for 2020 through 2024 by summed annual Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025, then multiply by 100,000. This yields average annual deaths per 100,000 residents without adjustments for miles driven or visitors. The separate July 1, 2024 population estimate is not the rate denominator.[8][6][7]
See also
References
- abcdefghijklmnopqrst "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2020 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqrst "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2021 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqrst "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2022 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqrst "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2023 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024 national data files (Annual Report File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijkl "Annual resident population estimates for counties, April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (CO-EST2025-ALLDATA)". U.S. Census Bureau. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefgh "Fatality Analysis Reporting System Analytical User's Manual, 1975-2024 (DOT HS 813 794)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- ab "Overview of motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2024 (DOT HS 813 791, April 2026)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record