Washington Memorial Day Crashes Plummet as Gas Prices Soared

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Forecasters predicted record Memorial Day travel across Washington. Gas prices near four-year highs told a different story, and Washington State Patrol enforcement data suggests many drivers stayed home, with statewide collision totals plummeting compared to the same holiday period last year.

Statewide, troopers investigated just 86 total collisions during the 2026 Memorial Day enforcement period, down from 333 during the same period in 2025. Injury and fatal collisions dropped even more sharply, falling from 83 to 17 over the same span.

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

In District 7, which covers Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, Island and San Juan counties, troopers recorded 12 total collisions compared to 53 in 2025. Injury and fatal collisions fell from eight to two. DUI arrests held steady at 22 in both years.

Trooper Kelsey Harding, District 7 public information officer, noted the 2026 figures remain preliminary because some activity reports had not yet received full approval at the time the data was compiled.

WSP Memorial Day Enforcement — 2025 vs. 2026

Record Projections Met Reality at the Pump

AAA had projected approximately 1.23 million Washington residents would travel during the Memorial Day stretch, with nearly 1 million expected on the roads. Those numbers would have set a 20-year state record. Nationally, AAA forecast 45 million Americans traveling at least 50 miles over the holiday, surpassing last year’s 44.8 million.

Instead, Washington drivers faced gas prices exceeding $5 per gallon, among the highest in the nation. Nationally, the average price hit $4.56 per gallon, the highest Memorial Day pump price in four years, driven in part by the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Washington was on track to set a new all-time Memorial Day gas price record.

The sticker shock likely showed up in travel behavior. A GasBuddy survey found 56% of respondents planned to drive more than two hours to a destination this summer, down sharply from 69% the previous year.

KOMO News reported Western Washington families who normally travel out of state for the holiday instead stayed local, trading long trips for day outings at Alki Beach and the Northwest Folklife Festival. AAA noted 2026 carried the lowest year-over-year Memorial Day travel growth rate in more than a decade.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport still prepared for approximately 970,000 passengers between May 21 and 26, while Washington State Ferries anticipated roughly 350,000 riders. WSDOT warned drivers to expect delays on major corridors including Interstate 5, though those warnings proved less urgent than anticipated.

Serious Crashes Still Marked the Weekend

Despite the dramatically lower collision totals, serious incidents still occurred across the region during the holiday weekend.

In Whatcom County, a pickup truck crashed into a tree on May 23 and troopers arrested the driver for DUI.

Troopers just handled a one car v. tree collision. The driver was arrested for DUI.

Elsewhere in the region, a fatal three-vehicle collision shut down portions of State Route 2 near the SR 207 intersection, about 14 miles from Leavenworth, on May 23.

A 3-car collision occurred SR 2 in the intersection of SR 207 fourteen miles from Leavenworth. One occupant was deceased at the scene and multiple others injured. Please use Beaver Valley as alternate for SR 207.

WSDOT crews alternated traffic through the area as holiday travelers faced delays along one of the state’s busiest recreation corridors.

Speeding, Distracted Driving and Impairment Remain Top Concerns

Troopers issued fewer citations statewide as well. Statewide speeding citations fell from 3,405 in 2025 to 2,705 in 2026, while distracted driving citations dropped from 335 to 293. In District 7, speeding citations fell from 610 to 454 and distracted driving citations declined from 112 to 91.

Despite the improved numbers, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission continues warning that speeding, impaired driving and distracted driving remain among the leading causes of deadly crashes statewide.

Washington Traffic Safety Commission — 2025 Driver Survey

State troopers continue urging drivers to wear seat belts, avoid distractions, arrange sober transportation before drinking and leave extra travel time during busy summer weekends across the Pacific Northwest.

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