OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington hit a 33-year high for traffic fatalities in 2023 according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC).
In an unusual statistical jump, the amount of deaths on Washington’s roads in 2023 was 10% higher than the preceding year.
810 people died due to traffic incidents last year, nearly half of which were caused due to a drunk or high driver. About 36% of deaths were caused by distracted driving, which the WTSC says is a troubling new trend.
“The large increase in distraction-related fatalities reverses a downward trend that began in 2018 with the passage of Washington’s eDUI law,” WTSC said.
Washington State Patrol (WSP) Chief John R. Batiste conveyed his frustration at the increase in fatalities, which are often handled by WSP officers.
“This trend is not just alarming – it’s unacceptable…Driving sober, obeying the speed limit, avoiding distractions, and buckling up – these are all the safe choices – the right choices – that need to be made on our roadways,” Batiste said.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has been targeting a total of zero traffic deaths in the Evergreen State by the year 2030.
WSDOT lists impairment, distraction, speeding and failing to wear a seatbelt as the most dangerous high risk behaviors leading to deaths. Those exact four behaviors caused over 75% of 2023’s traffic deaths according to WTSC.
