On Sunday, Nov. 19, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) encouraged everyone to pause for World Remembrance for Traffic Victims and remember the victims of those who died in traffic-related crashes.
According to WTSC, the lives of 5,624 people were lost on Washington State roadways due to traffic-related crashes over the past decade.
Of those killed, 20% were either walking or riding a bicycle. “Each one of these individual tragedies leaves behind countless loved ones affected by the loss. Each person killed leaves behind people who cared deeply about them — parents, children, siblings, spouses, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and others. They are missed every day,” WTSC said in a news release.
“The Washington Traffic Safety Commission works every day to prevent these tragedies. We do this by increasing our understanding of the underlying causes so that we can act before it’s too late,” said Shelly Baldwin, WTSC director. “These are not accidents. Fatal crashes are preventable.”
“Obtaining a driver license requires knowing safe driving practices,” said Marcus Glasper, director of the state Department of Licensing. “Injuries and fatalities can be significantly reduced by applying that knowledge every time you drive.”
In 2023, WTSC sponsored a statewide survey of adults on various aspects of traffic safety. Survey responses came from all Washington counties and major demographic groups by age, gender, race and ethnicity. A total of 10,964 Washington adults completed valid surveys.
A majority (51%) of respondents said it was moderately to extremely dangerous to drive on public roads in Washington.
The rates were higher for walking or jogging (55%) or riding a bicycle (80%).
Public transportation was considered the safest mode of travel by 69% of survey respondents.
People who travel on Washington roads understand some of the risks more than others, according to the WTSC.
In total, 75% said that it is “very or extremely dangerous” to drive after consuming potentially impairing prescription drugs, and 85% said that manipulating cell phones with your hands while driving was also very or extremely dangerous.
Compared to previous decades, there is much greater recognition of the dangers of driving impaired or being distracted on the road.
On the other hand, a mere 32% said that driving 10 miles per hour (mph) or more over the speed limit is “very or extremely dangerous.”
Speeding has remained more common and acceptable, according to WTSC.
“Speeding and erratic driving are a growing problem on our roadways,” said Washington state Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar. “We need to recognize the speed and safety tradeoffs and give a little on speed to save so much more overall. As long as higher speeds are the norm, we know more people will die and more families will experience the tragic loss of a loved one.”
Washington saw the highest number of pedestrian fatalities on record in 2021, and the numbers fell only slightly last year, according to WTSC.
“Excessive speed contributes to serious crashes in fundamental and important ways,” WTSC said in a news release. “Speed narrows our vision and attention, reduces reaction time and stopping distance, and increases crash forces exponentially. Speed literally kills, and the reasons come down to basic biology and physics.”
At 25 mph or less, 90% of pedestrians will survive a collision, according to WTSC.
Due to force increasing exponentially with speed, a pedestrian is five times more likely to die when struck by a vehicle traveling 42 mph,compared to a vehicle traveling 23 mph.
An encouraging sign from the survey was that 58% of Washington adults would be very or extremely comfortable asking someone who is speeding or driving aggressively to slow down, according to WTSC.
“We can honor those we have lost by actively choosing to buckle up, slow down, drive sober, and be focused on actually driving,” said Washington State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste. “Any other choice can lead to the loss of someone we love, which is an outcome we all must work together to make come to an end.”
The Washington State Department of Transportation earlier this week announced it expected this Thanksgiving weekend to be among the busiest in Washington’s history.
The Olympian reported that AAA estimated 1.3 million Washingtonians were primed to take to skies, roads and rails over the holiday. Plan ahead for trips with maps and WSDOT traffic tools.
