Increase in Deadly Crashes Continues in Whatcom County

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — It isn’t just your imagination, driving in Whatcom County is actually more dangerous than other counties in the state. That’s what the data reveals even as statewide numbers were recently celebrated for showing declines.

This Crash Report is sponsored by CrashLaw.NET, a legal resource for crash victims in Whatcom County.

Over the past year, PNW Daily has documented crash after crash along the Northwest Washington corridor as part of its ongoing Crash Report series. The Ferndale man killed on Mount Baker Highway. A bicyclist airlifted from Interstate 5 and shutting down lanes near Lake Samish. A Bellingham man arrested for vehicular homicide after a fatal predawn collision on West Axton Road. A beloved Van Zandt community member killed on State Route 9.

Now, new data from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission puts that body of reporting into statewide context, and the picture it paints for Whatcom County is harder to explain away than the headline numbers suggest.

Washington recorded 659 traffic fatalities in 2025, down from 730 in 2024 and 809 in 2023. That two-year decline is meaningful. For perspective, Washington recorded 499 traffic fatalities in 2015 and 529 in 2019, meaning deaths remain significantly elevated above pre-pandemic baselines even as they retreat from recent peaks. But the trend is moving in the right direction statewide.

Whatcom County’s numbers are not.

Whatcom County Bucked the Statewide Trend in 2025

While Washington as a whole recorded fewer traffic deaths last year, Whatcom County went the other direction. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission dashboard shows the county recorded 14 traffic fatalities in 2025, up from 12 in 2024.

The county’s yearly totals have swung sharply over the past decade:

• 21 deaths in 2017
• 19 in 2021
• 20 in 2023
• 12 in 2024
• 14 in 2025

The uptick from 12 to 14 may not sound dramatic in isolation. But it runs counter to a statewide improvement trend that saw Washington shed 150 fatalities over two years, and it arrives against a backdrop of specific, documented crashes that follow patterns the data makes very clear.

This Crash Report is sponsored by CrashLaw.NET, a legal resource for crash victims in Whatcom County.

Although Interstate 5 has become the most visible corridor for major crashes in Northwest Washington, and daily backups inspired the Highway of Death coverage, the data confirms the broader problem extends well beyond a single stretch of freeway. Fatal crashes in Whatcom County include interstate collisions, rural highway crashes, city street incidents, and pedestrian fatalities spread across multiple roadway types.

The Behavioral Numbers Tell a Stark Story

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission dashboard data for Whatcom County reveals the behavioral factors driving many of those deaths. A note of caution applies to the impairment figures specifically: as of May 2026, approximately 45 lab tests remain pending statewide, which may result in minor adjustments to 2025 impairment data as testing is completed.

With that caveat noted, the Whatcom County figures show:

• 47% of fatal crashes involved an impaired driver
• 61% involved a speeding driver
• 23% involved a distracted driver

That speeding figure deserves particular attention. Nearly two out of every three fatal crashes in Whatcom County in 2025 involved a speeding driver, a rate that stands out even against a statewide backdrop where dangerous driving behaviors remain stubbornly widespread. Statewide, the number of fatalities involving a speeding driver fell from 270 in 2023 to 189 in 2025. Whatcom County’s trajectory ran the opposite direction.

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission’s 2025 statewide survey, drawing on more than 11,500 responses from Washington residents, helps explain the persistence of the problem. When asked about their own behavior in the previous 30 days, Washington drivers reported:

• 78% had exceeded the speed limit by 10 mph or more
• 49% had read or looked at a phone while driving
• 39% had manually typed or interacted with a phone while driving
• 4.6% had driven under the influence of alcohol at least once in the past year

Perhaps more telling than the behaviors themselves is what drivers believe about consequences. Only 20% of Washington residents say people important to them would strongly disapprove of driving 10 mph or more over the speed limit. Only 29% believe a speeding driver in their community is likely to be caught by police. When most drivers don’t expect social disapproval or enforcement consequences for speeding, it shows up in the crash data.

CrashLaw Safety Tips During Heavy Holiday Traffic

Bellingham attorney Ziad Youseff of CrashLaw.net said drivers should expect unpredictable traffic patterns during major travel weekends and throughout the busy summer tourism season across Northwest Washington.

“Folks are gonna be driving around that don’t know where they are going, so they may stop and start again, slow down without a turn signal and many other things that may trigger road rage or accidents,” Youseff said.

Youseff said drivers should remain patient and defensive behind the wheel, especially along heavily traveled corridors including Interstate 5, State Route 20, State Route 9 and near border crossings and recreation areas.

He encouraged drivers to:

• Leave extra following distance between vehicles
• Avoid aggressive lane changes
• Expect sudden braking from unfamiliar drivers
• Stay out of blind spots whenever possible
• Put phones away while driving
• Allow extra travel time instead of rushing
• Avoid engaging with aggressive drivers or road rage incidents
• Check tires, brakes and lights before longer trips
• Always wear seat belts

Youseff also reminded drivers that many serious crashes happen close to home rather than during long-distance travel.

Washington State Patrol and the Washington Traffic Safety Commission continue urging drivers to slow down, avoid distractions and arrange sober transportation before drinking as summer traffic volume increases statewide.

An Emerging Concern: Older Drivers

One trend in the statewide data caught researchers’ attention even amid the overall improvement. While fatalities fell across almost all behaviors and populations, older drivers told a different story.

This Crash Report is sponsored by CrashLaw.NET, a legal resource for crash victims in Whatcom County.

“There were reductions across almost all behaviors and populations, with the exception of older drivers (70+) involved in fatal crashes, which reached another all-time high of 112 in 2025,” said Dr. Staci Hoff, Research and Data Director at the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

In Whatcom County, the dashboard shows the 70 and older age group was involved in 24 of the county’s fatal crashes, making it one of the largest represented age segments in the local data.

Whatcom’s Seatbelt Problem Is Worse Than the State Average

Washington’s seat belt use rate sits at approximately 94 percent, one of the consistently higher rates in the country. Yet according to the WTSC, unrestrained occupants account for 1 out of 3 motor vehicle fatalities statewide. The math on that disconnect is jarring: a small group of people making one decision accounts for a third of all deaths on Washington roads.

In Whatcom County, the dashboard shows 24 unrestrained fatalities against 42 restrained, putting the county’s unrestrained fatality rate at roughly 36 percent. That’s nearly double the statewide average.

No survey data explains that gap. The numbers simply are what they are.

Washington passed its primary seat belt law in 2002, and compliance has climbed steadily since. Still, the WTSC’s Mark McKechnie, the agency’s Policy and Communications Director, said the habit has to start at home.

“This is a good time to remind parents that you are setting an example for your children every time you get behind the wheel,” McKechnie said. “If you use your seat belt every time and insist everyone is buckled up, they will likely practice this safe habit throughout their lives, too.”

This Crash Report is sponsored by CrashLaw.NET, a legal resource for crash victims in Whatcom County.

Regional Counties Continue Seeing Elevated Fatalities

The broader Interstate 5 corridor continues seeing elevated fatalities even as the statewide total declines.

According to the WTSC dashboard:

• Whatcom County recorded 14 traffic fatalities in 2025
• Skagit County recorded 13
• Snohomish County recorded 60

Snohomish County’s raw total is the highest among the three, but Snohomish has roughly five times Whatcom’s population. On a per-capita basis, the fatality rate picture across the Northwest Washington corridor is worth watching as the commission finalizes its county-level analysis.

Skagit’s 13 fatalities also deserve scrutiny. Skagit County has a smaller population than Whatcom yet recorded a nearly identical fatality total. Fatal crashes on State Route 9 have been documented in both Skagit and Snohomish counties in recent months, including a motorcyclist killed in Skagit County in April and a suspected DUI crash on Highway 9 near Snohomish in May.

Click It or Ticket Season Has Arrived

The data arrives as Washington enters the summer travel season, historically one of the deadliest stretches of the year for the state’s roadways. From May 11 through May 31, law enforcement agencies across Washington are participating in the national Click It or Ticket campaign, with troopers and officers watching for unbuckled drivers, passengers, and children not secured in appropriate safety seats.

According to NHTSA, unbuckled seatbelts accounted for a death in a passenger vehicle every 54 minutes in 2024. Additional data from that year showed the scope of the problem nationally:

• 59% of young adults ages 18 to 34 killed in passenger vehicles were unbuckled, among the highest rates of any age group
• Unbuckled men died more often than women in passenger vehicles (53% vs. 40%)
• 59% of pickup truck occupants killed in crashes were unbuckled, compared to 47% of passenger car occupants
• While 47% of front-seat fatalities involved unbelted occupants, that number jumps to 58% for those in the back seat

“Buckling up only takes a second, and that second could be the difference between life or death in a crash,” NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said. “We’re teaming up with law enforcement agencies nationwide to remind everyone to Click It or Ticket. Enforcing state and local seat belt laws will save countless lives.”

This Crash Report is sponsored by CrashLaw.NET, a legal resource for crash victims in Whatcom County.

As Summer Arrives, Officials Urge Caution

Statewide crash records show July and August consistently rank among the highest-fatality months of the year. For Northwest Washington, that seasonal pressure falls on corridors that have seen repeated fatal crashes in recent months, including Interstate 5, State Route 9, and Mount Baker Highway.

Traffic safety officials continue pointing to the same behavioral factors that appear most often in fatal crash data: impaired driving, excessive speed, distracted driving, and failure to wear a seatbelt. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission’s 2025 statewide survey found 77% of Washington residents agreed the only acceptable number of roadway deaths and serious injuries should be zero. That figure has grown three years in a row.

“It is a relief to see fewer people killed in 2024 and 2025. But our goal is zero. One person killed is too many,” said WTSC Director Shelly Baldwin. “The fatal four high-risk behaviors, impairment, speed, distraction, and lack of seat belt use, are involved in most of our traffic fatalities. As we approach the summer months, when we traditionally see traffic fatalities increase, I want to implore everyone on our roadways to drive sober, follow the speed limit, stay focused, and buckle up.”

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