2009 Washington State Collision Data Summary

NHTSA · 2010 · ROSA P / Washington (State). Department of Transportation

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Summary

This document is a statistical summary of traffic collision data for Washington State in 2009, produced by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). The report addresses the need to analyze traffic safety trends by compiling and disseminating data from police-reported traffic collision reports. It aims to provide a comprehensive snapshot of collision frequency, severity, and contributing factors across all public roadways in the state, serving as a resource for WSDOT regions, the Federal Highway Administration, and other government agencies. The methodology relies exclusively on Police Traffic Collision Reports submitted for incidents involving injury, death, or property damage exceeding $700. Effective January 1, 2009, citizen-reported collisions were excluded from the primary data repository, meaning this summary reflects only officer-reported data. The WSDOT’s Statewide Travel and Collision Data Office processed these reports, categorizing collisions by location (state routes, city streets, county roads), injury severity (fatal, serious, evident, possible, property damage only), and contributing circumstances such as alcohol impairment and speed. To contextualize the raw counts, the report utilizes vehicle miles traveled (VMT) to calculate fatality and collision rates, allowing for standardized comparisons across different jurisdictions and time periods. The findings indicate that in 2009, there were 102,859 total collisions reported by officers statewide, resulting in 453 fatal collisions and 492 total fatalities. This represented a decrease in both total collisions and fatalities compared to previous years. Notably, Washington’s traffic fatality rate dropped to 0.87 per 100 million VMT, marking the lowest rate in state history and placing the state 33% below the 2009 U.S. preliminary fatality rate of 1.16. Over the period from 1980 to 2009, the state’s overall fatality rate declined by 75%. The data further breaks down collisions by county and city, with Seattle reporting the highest number of collisions (14,105) and fatalities (33), while other major cities like Tacoma, Spokane, and Everett also showed significant collision volumes. Alcohol was a factor in 8,071 collisions, involving 6,589 vehicles where driver ability was impaired. The significance of this report lies in its provision of granular, evidence-based data to support targeted safety programs. By identifying trends such as the historic low in fatality rates and specific high-risk areas or behaviors, the data enables policymakers and transportation officials to allocate resources more effectively. The distinction between raw collision counts and rate-based metrics helps control for exposure differences, ensuring that safety interventions are based on accurate risk assessments rather than simple volume comparisons.

Key finding

Washington State's traffic fatality rate in 2009 was 0.87 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, which was 33% below the national preliminary rate of 1.16.

Methodology

dataset

Provenance

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Topics

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• incidence prevalence

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes