Seattle Car Accident Statistics

Seattle-area residents know how difficult driving can be in the metro area. A variety of factors contribute to the high number of traffic accidents in our city.

Injured? Contact our Seattle car accident lawyers today for a free case evaluation.

The population of Seattle is 724,745, and the population of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan area is nearly 3.6 million. This makes the Seattle area the 14th most populous metro area in the U.S., by one estimate.

Seattle-area drivers are continually ranked near the bottom for driver safety, when compared to other metro areas in the U.S. A report by Allstate insurance ranked Seattle number 179 out of 200 cities in terms of driver safety. Drivers in Seattle file an auto insurance claim an average of once every 7.7 years.

In more positive news, according to the Seattle Department of Transportation, there was a 25 percent reduction in auto-related fatalities from 2017 to 2018. Fourteen people were killed and 170 were seriously injured in auto-related accidents in Seattle proper in 2018.

The main contributing factors to these accidents were distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding, and failure to yield to pedestrians.

Traffic congestion also makes for difficult and frustrating driving conditions in Seattle. On average, Seattle drivers spend up to 138 hours a year sitting in traffic – the national average is 97. Seattle is ranked the 6th worst city in the U.S. for traffic congestion.

Like any metropolitan area, certain areas are busier and more dangerous than others. According to the Seattle Department of Transportation, the busiest roads in Seattle on the average weekday are:

  • Northeast 45th Street (west of Roosevelt Way Northeast)
  • Mercer Street (west of Fairview)
  • East Marginal Way South (south of Alaska Street)
  • Aurora Avenue North (south of Harrison)
  • West Seattle Bridge. Every day, more than 90,000 drivers cross this bridge.

Additionally, I-5, I-90, I-405, and other interstate highways in Seattle can get extremely congested, due to commuter traffic, Sea-Tac Airport traffic, downtown traffic, and more.

Considering all of this, Seattle drivers should take driving safety very seriously. But unfortunately, this is not always the case. Driver negligence in its many forms can have dire effects on driver safety. The result? More car accidents, pedestrian accidents, and other motor vehicle accidents within the city – leading to more serious injuries and unnecessary deaths.

Local personal injury representation

If you or a loved one have been injured in a car or pedestrian accident in Seattle, get a local personal injury attorney on your case as soon as possible.

At Elk & Elk, we are experienced, approachable, and we get results. You don’t have to face the aftermath of an accident alone. Whether you were injured by a driver who was distracted, drunk, speeding or otherwise negligent, we can help you.

Schedule a free consultation at our downtown Seattle office. You can call us at 1-844-ELK-WEST. We take cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you owe us no attorney fees unless we recover money for you.