Deadliest months for WA motorcyclists approaching, data says

SEATTLE - The next few months mark the deadliest time for motorcyclists on Washington roads, according to data from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC).

A data dashboard from the WTSC shows that the most fatal motorcycle crashes typically occur in Washington between May and September, with the most happening in July, accounting for about 17% of all motorcyclist deaths within a year.

The dashboard features various different graphs and charts, detailing what factors can be attributed to the fatal crashes.

A more notable graph is the one for fatal motorcycle crashes by year, which shows a significant jump from 2021 to 2022 (increased by 42 fatalities). The number grew even more in 2023, with a total of 138 motorcyclist deaths in the year.

WTSC fatal motorcycle crashes by year graph

via WTSC

The data also includes statistics that some might find surprising, like the fact that 54% of all fatal motorcycle crashes in the state involved an impaired driver. Also, about 96% of the deadly crashes were in dry weather conditions, a majority occurred on State Routes and country roads, and there's a spike in crashes in 30-40 mph zones.

The dashboard also has a map that shows the location of each motorcyclist fatality in Washington, and what year it happened in.

via WTSC

Summer is usually when law enforcement tends to deal with more fatal crashes, as more people like to travel during the warmer months. Washington is already dealing with an influx of deadly crashes, with many happening during or just after Memorial Day weekend.

You can view the full data on the Traffic Safety Commission's website.