Car accident statistics for King County, Washington (2020-2024)

Car accident deaths in King County by year

Car accident deaths in King County went from 99 in 2020 to 116 in 2021, then to 132 in 2022, then to 147 in 2023, before falling to 140 in 2024. All traffic deaths followed a similar pattern, moving from 110 in 2020 up to 168 in 2023 before dropping to 152 in 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The highest year for car accident deaths in the five-year span was 2023, with 147, while the lowest was 2020, with 99. Comparing the first and last years of the period, car accident deaths were 41 higher in 2024 than in 2020. The share of all traffic deaths that were car accident deaths ranged from 84.7% in 2021 to 92.1% in 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Deaths within 30 days in crashes on public roads. 2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised.

Who died in King County car accidents

Among the 634 car accident deaths recorded in King County from 2020 through 2024, People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans accounted for 354 deaths, or 55.8% of the total, making up the majority of this group of deaths. People in other vehicles accounted for 67 deaths, or 10.6%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) accounted for 213 deaths, or 33.6%, of car accident deaths in this period. Together these three categories cover everyone counted as a car accident death in the county's crash data for 2020 through 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

How the fatal car crashes happened

Looking at manner of collision for the 634 car accident deaths from 2020 through 2024, Angle (side impact) crashes accounted for 120 deaths, or 18.9%, Head-on crashes for 67 deaths, or 10.6%, Rear-end crashes for 42 deaths, or 6.6%, and Sideswipe crashes for 21 deaths, or 3.3%. Other and Unknown manners each accounted for 2 deaths, or 0.3%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The largest category, Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport, accounted for 380 deaths, or 59.9%, making up the majority of car accident deaths by manner of collision. This row covers crashes whose first harmful event was not a collision between motor vehicles in transport, such as striking a pedestrian, a cyclist, a parked vehicle or a fixed object, or a rollover.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Time of day and setting

Of the 634 car accident deaths recorded in King County from 2020 through 2024, Nighttime hours from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m. accounted for 391 deaths, or 61.7%, while Daytime hours from 6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m. accounted for 243 deaths, or 38.3%. Nighttime deaths made up the majority of the total.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

By land use, Urban areas accounted for 567 car accident deaths, or 89.4%, while Rural areas accounted for 64, or 10.1%, with the remaining 3 deaths, or 0.5%, of unknown land use. Car accident deaths in crashes that also involved a large truck numbered 41, a 6.5% share of all car accident deaths in the period.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Car accident death rate compared with Washington and the United States

King County's average annual car accident death rate for 2020 through 2024 was 5.6 per 100,000 residents. This is lower than the Washington state rate of 7.9 and lower than the national rate of 10.5 for the same years.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Among the listed neighboring counties, Pierce County, Washington had a rate of 9.1, Snohomish County, Washington had a rate of 5.2, and Yakima County, Washington had a rate of 16.7. King County's rate of 5.6 was higher than Snohomish County's but lower than both Pierce County's and Yakima County's. This figure reflects average annual deaths per 100,000 residents and does not adjust for miles driven or for visitors to the county.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Rates divide deaths by the sum of annual Census population estimates, so they show deaths per 100,000 residents per year. They do not adjust for miles driven or for visitors.

Recorded characteristics of all fatal crashes

Looking at all fatal crashes in King County from 2020 through 2024, of any vehicle type, Roadway departure was a recorded characteristic in 277 deaths, or 38.6% of all traffic deaths, and Speeding-related crashes accounted for 232 deaths, or 32.3%. Pedestrian involved crashes accounted for 230 deaths, or 32.0%, and At an intersection crashes accounted for 210 deaths, or 29.2%.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Motorcycle involved crashes were a recorded characteristic in 97 deaths, or 13.5%, Driver distraction reported in 103 deaths, or 14.3%, Hit-and-run in 93 deaths, or 13.0%, and In a work zone in 5 deaths, or 0.7%. Because a single crash can carry several of these characteristics, the shares overlap and do not add to 100%, and they describe recorded characteristics rather than findings of fault.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

A crash can carry several characteristics, so the rows overlap and do not add to 100%. These are recorded characteristics, not findings of fault.

About these figures

These figures come from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), a census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes that occur on trafficways customarily open to the public and in which a vehicle occupant or a nonoccupant dies within 30 days. FARS covers fatal crashes only, so nonfatal crashes and injuries are not part of these counts.^[8][6][7]

Deaths are grouped by the county where the crash happened rather than by where the people killed lived. Data for 2020 through 2023 come from FARS Final Files, while the 2024 data come from the FARS Annual Report File and can change when NHTSA issues the Final File. Rates are calculated by dividing 2020 through 2024 deaths by the sum of annual Census Bureau population estimates for those years, which gives average annual deaths per 100,000 residents without adjusting for miles driven or visitors.^[8][6][7]

See also

• Car accident statistics for Pierce County, Washington (2020-2024)
• Car accident statistics for Yakima County, Washington (2020-2024)
• Washington car accident statistics (2020-2024)