WA State Patrol Happy With Mostly Safe Holiday Weekend On Roads

Numbers from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission show the state is on pace to break last year's record number of traffic fatalities. 

But there was a major slowdown in North Central Washington over the Labor Day weekend, where there were no major crashes on state roads in the region known as district 6.  

State Patrol Trooper Jeremy Weber says residents did their part to stay safe. 

“We had a lot of troopers out there working, but I think the big congratulations need to go out to the citizens of Washington, just keeping our speeds down and being attentive to what we’re doing,” said Weber. “Ya, we are super happy about this.” 

 The only crash reported by troopers over the holiday weekend was a minor accident on I-90 in Kittitas County Monday. 

Weber says they had emphasis patrols which really paid off. “We had some overtime shifts, specifically targeting seat belt emphasis, speeding and DUI, and I’d say we hit the mark on everything,” Weber said. “It’s a big weekend for us.” 

The initial data from the Traffic Safety Commission show there were 417 fatalities through July 31, 2023, compared to 413 at the same point in 2022. Last year was the deadliest year on Washington roads since 1990. 

While more total lives have been lost, there have been fewer deadly crash incidents so far in 2023 compared to 2022. Those numbers reveal that there are more deaths per crash. 

 The Washington State Patrol and Traffic Safety Commission are wrapping up a summer long campaign educating the public about the 90 Dangerous Days of summer. Over the past five years, the summer months have resulted in the deadliest 90-day stretch for drivers on Washington roadways.