Caution: Roads in Washington With the Highest Fatality Rates

Three Significant Factors for Driving Fatalities in Washington

Research from the recent three-year sample (2017 to 2019) pointed out three main factors in fatal crashes in Washington.

• Drunk Driving. We’ve all been there. You’ve had a few more drinks than you thought you would. Calling for a taxi, using your app for an Uber or Lyft, and calling a close friend will save your life and the lives of others on the road. Intoxicated drivers accounted for one-third (33%) of fatal deaths in Washington.

• Speeding. We all gotta be someplace on time. When you nudge above the speed limit, you put yourself at a higher risk of dying in a car crash. Drivers driving faster than the posted speed limit accounted for nearly one-third (31%) of fatal Washington driving deaths.

• Distracted Driving. This is a big reason I now run for fitness, instead of riding my bike. I regularly see drivers looking at their smartphones while operating their vehicles. This is not only frightening, it's dangerous. Distracted drivers account for 34% of all fatal deaths in Washington.  

WA Counties with the least and most fatalities (ranked safest to most dangerous)

The counties rank this list of all 39 Washington counties with the least fatal accidents (2017-2019). Counties with smaller populations or roads/highways with less traffic are among the safest. As you scroll down, you’ll conversely see populations with larger amounts of population or busier stretches of highway/roads at the bottom.

Wahkiakum

Fatal Accidents: 1

Number of fatalities: 2

Most deadly road: SR-4 (one fatal accident)

San Juan

Fatal Accidents: 1

Number of fatalities: 2

Most deadly road: Cr-Egg Lake Road (one fatal accident)

Columbia

Fatal Accidents: 2

Number of fatalities: 3

Most deadly road: US-12 (2 fatal accidents)

Asotin

Fatal Accidents: 3

Number of fatalities: 3

Most deadly road: Cr-Ben Johnson Rd (one fatal accident)

Douglas

Fatal Accidents: 4

Number of fatalities: 4

Most deadly road: Cr-Rd M Nw (one fatal accident)

Garfield

Fatal Accidents: 4

Number of fatalities: 4

Most deadly road: US-12 (3 fatal accidents)

Pacific

Fatal Accidents: 6

Number of fatalities: 6

Most deadly road: US-101 (3 fatal accidents)

Ferry

Fatal Accidents: 6

Number of fatalities: 6

Most deadly road: US-395  (2 fatal accidents)

Pend Oreille 

Fatal Accidents: 6

Number of fatalities: 8

Most deadly road: US-2  (2 fatal accidents)

Skamania

Fatal Accidents: 7

Number of fatalities:7

Most deadly road: SR-14  (5 fatal accidents)

Lincoln 

Fatal Accidents: 10

Number of fatalities: 10

Most deadly road: US-2  (3 fatal accidents)

Walla Walla 

Fatal Accidents: 11

Number of fatalities: 11

Most deadly road: US-125  (2 fatal accidents)

Klickitat 

Fatal Accidents: 12

Number of fatalities: 13

Most deadly road: Cr-Glenwood Hwy (2 fatal accidents)

Whitman 

Fatal Accidents: 13

Number of fatalities: 15

Most deadly road: US-195 (3 fatal accidents)

Island 

Fatal Accidents: 14

Number of fatalities: 15

Most deadly road: SR-20 (3 fatal accidents)

Jefferson

Fatal Accidents: 14

Number of fatalities: 17

Most deadly road: US-101 (4 fatal accidents)

Stevens

Fatal Accidents: 15

Number of fatalities: 16

Most deadly road: US-395 (9 fatal accidents)

Clallam

Fatal Accidents: 16

Number of fatalities: 17

Most deadly road:��US-101 (8 fatal accidents)

Chelan 

Fatal Accidents: 17

Number of fatalities: 17

Most deadly road: US-97 (3 fatal accidents)

Mason

Fatal Accidents: 18

Number of fatalities: 19

Most deadly road: SR-3 (5 fatal accidents)

Adams

Fatal Accidents: 22

Number of fatalities: 24

Most deadly road: I-90 (6 fatal accidents)

Franklin

Fatal Accidents: 23

Number of fatalities: 25

Most deadly road: US-395 (7 fatal accidents)

Grays Harbor

Fatal Accidents: 24

Number of fatalities: 25

Most deadly road: US-12 (5 fatal accidents)

Kittitas 

Fatal Accidents: 26

Number of fatalities: 29

Most deadly road: I-90 (16 fatal accidents)

Okanogan 

Fatal Accidents: 28

Number of fatalities: 31

Most deadly road: US-97 (6 fatal accidents)

Lewis 

Fatal Accidents: 31

Number of fatalities: 33

Most deadly road: US-12 (7 fatal accidents)

Cowlitz 

Fatal Accidents: 35

Number of fatalities: 39

Most deadly road: SR-504 (5 fatal accidents)

Benton 

Fatal Accidents: 39

Number of fatalities: 41

Most deadly road: I-82 (8 fatal accidents)

Skagit  

Fatal Accidents: 43

Number of fatalities: 47

Most deadly road: I-5 (10 fatal accidents)

Grant

Fatal Accidents: 45

Number of fatalities: 49

Most deadly road: SR-17 (8 fatal accidents)

Kitsap 

Fatal Accidents: 46

Number of fatalities: 46

Most deadly road: SR-3 (7 fatal accidents)

Whatcom

Fatal Accidents: 49

Number of fatalities: 53

Most deadly road: I-5 (11 fatal accidents)

Thurston  

Fatal Accidents: 63

Number of fatalities: 66

Most deadly road: I-5 (5 fatal accidents)

Clark 

Fatal Accidents: 80

Number of fatalities: 88

Most deadly road: I-5 (10 fatal accidents)

Yakima

Fatal Accidents: 93

Number of fatalities: 99

Most deadly road: I-82 (9 fatal accidents)

Spokane 

Fatal Accidents: 99

Number of fatalities: 102

Most deadly road: US-2 (12 fatal accidents)

Snohomish

Fatal Accidents: 116

Number of fatalities: 123

Most deadly road: I-5 (16 fatal accidents)

Pierce  

Fatal Accidents: 167

Number of fatalities: 177

Most deadly road: I-5 (16 fatal accidents)

King 

Fatal Accidents: 308

Number of fatalities: 325

Most deadly road: SR-99 (30 fatal accidents)