WA ranked the top state for deadly multi-car collisions. Stats, tips to protect yourself

Karlee Van De Venter
·4 min read
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Washington state is getting called out for dangerous driving conditions in a new report. There are many factors that can contribute to the higher likelihood of a car collision. Of course, driver impairment is a large factor, as it often leads to dangerous situations. Other common factors include distraction, speed and traffic congestion.

When multiple vehicles are involved alongside conditions like bad weather, unsafe lane changes, or a series of accidents triggered by an initial incident, the likelihood of an accident increases.

The state you’re in can also impact how often collisions turn fatal. But why? Here’s what the study found, and why Washington state has been the deadliest state for multi-car collisions.

Most deadly multi-car crashes by state

Florida accident attorneys at the law offices of Anidjar and Levine have released the results of a study evaluating national traffic data to determine which states drivers are most likely to be involved in a deadly multiple vehicle crash. They defined a “multiple-vehicle crash” as a collision involving three or more vehicles, and examined how often these are fatal versus nonfatal in each state.

The lawyers used crash data from the National Traffic Safety Administration for the study. The state with the highest likelihood of fatality during a collision involving three or more cars in between 2017 and 2021 was Washington state, according to Anidjar and Levine’s study.

In that time frame, Washington reported more than 240 fatal car crashes involving three or more vehicles — equaling 9.1% of the state’s collisions.

Nationally, only 7.4% of multi-car crashes include fatalities. No other state had a proportion of 9% or higher involving fatalities.

The state Department of Transportation is aware of the high rate of traffic deaths in Washington. It’s several years into its Strategic Highway Safety Plan, Target Zero, which aims at reducing traffic deaths and serious injuries in the state to zero by 2030.

“Target Zero is built on the belief that not one death is acceptable on our state’s roadways,” reads the most recent edition of the safety plan. “Everyone in Washington State should be able to travel our roadways without fear of being killed or seriously injured in a traffic crash.”

Following Washington, the states with the highest percentages of fatalities in multi-car collisions were:

  • Utah

  • California

  • Florida

  • Georgia

  • Colorado

  • Arizona

  • Nevada

  • Maryland

  • Texas

Washington’s percentage is nearly five times that of the state with the lowest percentage, Montana, which ranked a 1.86% proportion. The ten states with the least fatalities from multi-car crashes all had less than 5.7%.

Ensure maximum protection from collisions

The lawyers offered advice for protecting yourself from similar collisions. A spokesperson for the office said that the holiday season can be more dangerous for drivers, due to the combination of poor weather conditions and increased traffic congestion.

“Navigating the road is a shared responsibility, and making yourself aware of other drivers and road hazards is important – especially during stressful times like rush hour,” the law office’s spokesperson stated in the press release.

The Washington State Department of Transportation offers tips for driving in the Evergreen State during winter. Some of these include:

Other important protections include regular maintenance checks across the board. Check your tire pressure, brake health, lights and internal systems.

Always remember to stay focused. Never drive when intoxicated or too tired to drive properly. Keep your eyes on the road, as remaining alert is often the greatest protection against severe crashes.

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission has four key campaigns, “We’re focused, sober, buckled up and patient,” to address the factors most contributing to death and serious injury in crashes here. It says the majority of Washington drivers are focused on the road when they drive, and it is a smaller group of people who engage in risky behaviors, like focusing on their phones instead.

The commission is focused on reaching those who already drive safely, so they can have a positive influence on those who don’t.

“By focusing on what everyone can do to encourage focused driving, and not the risky behavior itself, we can help all Washington residents focus on traveling safely,” states the commission’s website.