Yakima County Traffic Deaths Compared to Other WA Counties

Which Washington state county has the highest record when it comes to road fatalities, and where does Yakima County stack up in comparison? Being at the top of this list isn’t a good thing. We’ll discuss this below.

Living On The Washington Roads

I count my blessings that I’m still alive after the number of hours I’ve spent driving the highways and freeways throughout Washington. And the few close calls I’ve had, even when I wasn’t behind the wheel.

It’s dangerous out there, with so many vehicles and so many distractions. For 13 years, I worked for a medical lab as a courier, driving to Tri-Cities, Yakima, Ellensburg, Seattle, and all spots in between. Luckily, I only had 2 close calls, but in the blink of an eye, what you hope for a close call, could be the end.

READ MORE: Are Washington Drivers More Distracted Than Others Around The Country?

Just three days ago, I was walking around my Yakima neighborhood (where sidewalks are few) just after 5 pm (just starting to get dark), and a car turning left made the turn wide, and luckily, the driver overcorrected himself because the driver would have hit me.

Next time you’re driving, please slow down and pay attention, so you don’t end up one of these stats below.

Road Fatality Rates By County In Washington

With the most recent records from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, we know the worst counties involving road fatalities.

NOTE: When you have more populated counties (like King County), the number of incidents will be higher, so we’re looking at the average, broken down per 100 thousand people.

• #5 Jefferson County with 23.7 per 100k people.
• #4 Mason County with 29.1 per 100k people.
• #3 Kittitas County with 33.4 per 100k people.
• #2 Adams County with 47.9 per 100k people.
• #1 Lincoln County with 59.5 per 100k people.

Where Does Yakima County Land On This List?

Yakima County came in at #10 out of the 25 surveyed by Stacker.com, with 18.3 per 100K people. Also cited that Highway 12 was one of the most dangerous roadways in our county, and that intoxication behind the wheel plays a big role in all the numbers statewide.

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