Active transportation - Fatalities and serious injuries
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Measures for active transportation fatalities and serious injuries
Fatalities & serious injuries
Traffic crashes that result in bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries occur mostly in population centers, at higher posted speeds, and when active transportation users are crossing the road. Traffic fatalities involving pedestrians include people in wheelchairs and those using small rideable devices such as skateboards and scooters.
Source: WSDOT Transportation Data, GIS & Modeling Office
Note: Pedestrians include people in wheelchairs, those using small rideable devices such as skateboards and scooters, and those walking. Some numbers have changed since previous editions of the MMD due to updates within the Coded Fatality Files and WSDOT Engineering Crash Datamart.
Performance highlights
In 2024, the number of bicyclist fatalities decreased by four, resulting in a total of 13 fatalities compared to 17 in 2023. Similarly, pedestrian fatalities dropped by five, reaching 155 in 2024 down from 160 in 2023. The serious injuries sustained by bicyclists in 2024 totaled 168, which marks a 5.7% increase from 159 in 2023. Likewise, serious injuries to pedestrians rose slightly to 469 in 2024, showing a 0.4% decrease from 471 in 2023. Pedestrian and bicyclist fatality and serious injury rates as a percentage of all traffic incidents In terms of traffic fatalities, the percentage of fatalities involving pedestrians increased by 1.4 percentage points to 21.2% in 2024, up from 19.8% in 2023. Furthermore, the percentage of serious injuries among pedestrians constituted 14.2% of all traffic-related serious injuries in 2024, reflecting a 0.4 percentage point increase from the previous year. Traffic fatalities among bicyclists in 2024 decreased by 1.8%, dropping by 0.3 percentage points from 2.1% in 2023. Serious injuries to bicyclists accounted for 5.1% of all traffic-related serious injuries in 2024, which is an increase of 0.4 percentage points from 2023.
In 2023, the number of bicyclist fatalities increased by seven, totaling 18 fatalities, compared to 11 in 2022. Similarly, pedestrian fatalities rose by 19 individuals, reaching 154 in 2023 from 135 in 2022. Serious injuries sustained by bicyclists in 2023 totaled 157, a 12.1% increase from the 140 in 2022. Likewise, pedestrian serious injuries rose to 474 in 2023, reflecting a 14.2% increase from the 415 in 2022. In 2023, 21% of traffic fatalities were pedestrian and bicyclist, up one percentage point from 20% in 2022. Additionally, the percentage of serious injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists made up 18% of all traffic serious injuries in 2023, the same as 2022.
In 2022, there were 11 bicyclist fatalities, down by three from 14 in 2021. There were 136 pedestrian fatalities in 2022, down by 10 from 146 in 2021. In 2022, there were 142 bicyclist serious injuries, an increase of 43.4% from 99 in 2021. There were 408 pedestrian serious injuries in 2022, a decrease of 0.5% from 410 in 2021. In 2022, 20% of all traffic fatalities were pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities, down three percentage points from 23% in 2021. Pedestrian and bicyclist serious injuries made up 18% of all traffic fatalities in 2022, up from 17% in 2021.
In 2021, there were 14 bicyclist fatalities, up by one from 13 in 2020. There were 146 pedestrian fatalities in 2021, up by 36 from 110 in 2020. In 2021, there were 99 bicyclist serious injuries, an increase of 5.3% from 94 in 2020. There were 410 pedestrian serious injuries in 2021, a increase of 35.3% from 303 in 2020. In 2021, 23% of all traffic fatalities were pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities, up one percentage points from 22% in 2020. Pedestrian and bicyclist serious injuries made up 17% of all traffic fatalities in 2021, down from 19% in 2020.
In 2020, there were 12 bicyclist fatalities, up by three from nine in 2019. There were 105 pedestrian fatalities in 2020, down by two from 107 in 2019. In 2020, there were 95 bicyclist serious injuries, an decrease of 7.8% from 103 in 2019. There were 306 pedestrian serious injuries in 2020, a decrease of 14.5% from 358 in 2019. In 2020, 22% of all traffic fatalities were pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities, same percentage points from 22% in 2019. Pedestrian and bicyclist serious injuries made up 19% of all traffic fatalities in 2020, down from 24% in 2019.