Where Are Washington’s Deadliest Roads, and What Factors Contribute Most to its Fatal Accidents?

As of 2019, Washington had 167,632 miles of road. MoneyGeek’s analysis looked at 819 of the state’s roads to determine its deadliest. The study examined the ways distracted driving, speeding, drunk driving, seasonality and weather contributed to the 1,518 fatal crashes in Washington from 2017–2019. We also summarized data for each county in the state, including the deadliest road in each county.

• Aurora Avenue (SR-99) in Seattle is the deadliest stretch of road in Washington.
• 33% of fatal accidents were related to drunk driving.
• Speeding contributed to 31% of accidents.
• Distracted driving was involved in 24% of accidents.
• The month of July had the highest number of fatal accidents.
• King had the most fatal accidents of any county.

1. Aurora Ave (SR-99) Between N. Winona Ave and N. 155th St.

Seattle, Shoreline

Pacific Hwy (SR-99) Between S. 252nd St. to S. 176th St.

Des Moines, Seatac, Kent

I-5 Between S. 96 St. and Exit 133

Tacoma, Lakewood Center

I-5 Between Exit 119 (Steilacoom-Dupont Rd.) and Exit 124 (Gravelly Lake Dr.)

Lakewood Center, Lakewood

Pacific Highway SR-99 From S. 16th Ave to S. 263rd St.

Federal Way, Kent

SR-167 Between Tacoma Junction and N.W. 11st

Tacoma, Puyallup

SR-181 Between W. Meeker St. and S. 180th St.

Tukwila, Kent

SR-516 Between WA-167 Interchange and S. Military Rd.

Kent

I-5 From Exit 137 to Exit 142A

Federal Way, Milton

I-5 From Exit 14 (Pioneer St. Ridgefield) to Exit 16

Ridgefield, La Center

From 2017 to 2019, drunk driving contributed to 500 of the 1,518 total fatal accidents in Washington. During those three years, drunk driving outnumbered fatal accidents that involved distracted driving (367), speeding (468) and winter conditions (37).

Even a small amount of alcohol can affect your driving abilities — at just 0.02% blood alcohol concentration (BAC), you can experience some loss of judgment and visible impairment. In Washington, you’re considered legally intoxicated if your BAC reaches 0.08%.

Even when it doesn’t lead to a fatal accident, the costs of drunk driving are extensive and long-lasting, including license suspension, restricted driving privileges, court fines and attorney fees, possible jail time, and less affordable auto insurance rates in Washington. In particular, SR-22 insurance in Washington is significantly more expensive than all other types of coverage.

Speeding contributed to 468 fatal accidents in Washington during a three-year period. That accounts for almost one-third — or 31% — of fatal accidents from 2017 to 2019. Speeding isn’t just about breaking the law — drivers may lose control of their cars, decrease stopping distance from danger ahead and increase crash severity and potential injuries when driving over the speed limit.

Distracted driving resulted in 367 fatal crashes from 2017–2019. That accounts for nearly a quarter — or 24% — of distracted driving-related accidents in Washington. Distracted driving behaviors like texting, changing the radio station, talking on the phone or even talking to a passenger are potentially dangerous. A study by MoneyGeek ranked Washington as the sixth-worst state for distracted driving.

In Washington, July had the highest number of fatal accidents of any month, with 12.3% of fatal crashes occurring during that time of year. That accounts for 182 fatal accidents during the three years assessed. The majority of those fatal crashes (74) were attributed to speeding. August had the second-highest rate of fatal accidents (9.2%), followed by December (9%).

Responsible driving reduces your risk of accidents and injuring others, but it can also benefit you financially. In the event of an accident, car insurance is essential to help keep you and your family protected from huge expenses. An affordable full coverage auto insurance policy can take care of any property or bodily injury costs that may arise.

The average cost of auto insurance in Washington is $1,264. However, rates can vary based on where you live. For example, car insurance in Tacoma costs $1,358, while auto insurance in Spokane is $1,050, on average. That’s a difference of $308. Car insurance in Seattle — the state's largest city — costs $1,312, on average.

These rates are only averages, and your car insurance premiums can vary based on your age, driving record, type of car, age of vehicle and more. Comparing quotes from different insurance providers can help you find the cheapest car insurance company.

The five counties in Washington with the most fatal accidents had 783 such crashes in a three-year period. That’s over half of the deadly accidents that occurred in the state.

King County had a total of 308 fatal accidents, the most of any county from 2017 to 2019. The majority of these accidents happened on State Route 99 and were largely the result of drunk driving (100) or speeding (98).

MoneyGeek analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration FARS (fatal accident reporting system) database using fatality data from 2017, 2018 and 2019. Currently, 2019 is the latest data available in the system.