Traffic deaths are increasing in Washington state

Vehicle-related deaths rose 11% in Washington last year, despite a national 3.6% decrease, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics .

Why it matters: The percentage of fatal crashes went up statewide between 2022 and 2023 even as the total number of crashes went down, per Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) data .

Zoom out: Fatal crashes in Washington have also increased since before COVID, from 517 in 2019 to 596 in 2021, WSDOT reports.

• There was a presumption that the increase was somewhat tied to the pandemic and lockdowns, Clay Peterman, a transportation safety engineer for WSDOT, told Axios, but they have not gone down since the lockdowns were lifted in 2021 .
• In fact, fatal car crashes in Washington reached record highs both in 2022 and 2023 , per the Washington Traffic Safety Commission .
• There have been 113 fatal crashes this year, per the most recent WSDOT data.

Threat level: In Washington, 75% of deadly collisions are attributed to what the commission calls " the fatal four ": impairment, speeding, distraction and not wearing seatbelts, with distracted driving accounting for about 23% of the deaths in 2022.

To reduce distracted driving, highway safety regulators across the country are kicking off a new campaign — "Put the Phone Away or Pay" — that targets younger drivers, who are the most likely to die in distraction-related crashes.

• The campaign's "high-visibility enforcement" portion runs April 4–8, and targets drivers 18 to 34. Fines average $100 in most states.

Washington State Patrol said in a post on X that it has contacted more distracted drivers this year than last when comparing year-to-date data.

Reality check: There are lots of other things besides phones that can distract people behind the wheel, said Peterman, who noted he's seen people reading books and shaving.

Plus: "We don't have hard numbers to support this, but anecdotally and from talking to other people, it feels as if drivers are more aggressive," Peterman said.

• Washington State Patrol Trooper John Dattilo agreed, telling Axios that aggression on the state's roads is real and may be connected to the increase in the frequency of reported shootings .
• "It can definitely be scary out there."

Flashback: Changing driving habits can take time. Today, 91% of people buckle up, according to government data, but getting Americans to wear seat belts was a decades-long effort.

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