Seattle recorded 6,108 traffic crashes in 2025. On paper, that’s just a number. On the street, it translated into 25 fatal collisions and nearly 1,200 crashes with confirmed injuries, ranging from minor to life-altering.
The data shows a city where crashes are not evenly distributed. They cluster along specific corridors, during predictable conditions, and often involve the same risk factors repeating themselves.
The crash figures cited in this article come from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Collision Data Portal, which compiles law enforcement–reported crashes across Washington.
2025 Snapshots
– Seattle recorded 6,459 reported traffic accidents in 2025, representing a reduction of roughly 20% compared to recent peak years (7,923 in 2024 and 8,453 in 2023).
– 2025 marked the lowest number of roadway fatalities in Seattle since 2019.
– Teen driving-related crashes were at their lowest point in the last 10 years, with around 500 reported cases, well below years that surpassed 1,000 incidents.
The Fatal Locations: Patterns, Not Coincidences
The 25 fatal crashes were spread across the city, but certain streets appear again and again. Notably:
- Aurora Ave N (multiple intersections):
- N 128th St
- N 125th St
- N 59th St (Woodland Park)
- West Seattle access points:
- West Seattle Bridge E (Spokane St exits)
- S Spokane St & 4th Ave S
- South Seattle arterials:
- Rainier Ave S & S Willow St
- MLK Jr Way S near S Norfolk St
- S Portland St & Beacon Ave S
What stands out it’s road design. These are wide arterials, high-speed connectors, curves, bridge exits, and industrial corridors. Places where a single mistake escalates fast.
One of those locations, East Marginal Way S near S Spokane Street, is where officers responded just after 10 p.m. to that overturned vehicle involving four teenagers. The crash wasn’t random. It happened on a corridor already linked to heavy truck traffic, speed, and poor margins for error.
Severe Crash Corridors
Looking beyond fatalities, the city’s severe injury crashes also concentrate in predictable areas:
- I-5
- ~20 severe crashes
- 1 fatal
- Central Business District
- 12 severe crashes
- 12 severe crashes
- Pioneer Square
- 8 severe crashes
- 8 severe crashes
- Aurora Ave (primarily North)
- 10 severe crashes
- 2 fatalities
- West Seattle Bridge access points
- 7 severe crashes
- 2 fatalities
These are high-volume, high-conflict zones. Downtown and Pioneer Square combine buses, pedestrians, late-night traffic, and tight lanes. Aurora and I-5 combine speed with volume. The bridge access points combine curves, merges, and impatience.
In late December, a two-car crash near 23rd Place NE, involving a GMC Sierra and a Tesla around 2:24 a.m., sent at least one person to the hospital. Early-morning hours, limited visibility, and speed remain a consistent theme in Seattle’s serious crashes.
Pedestrians: Disproportionate Risk
Out of the city’s 25 traffic deaths, 16 were pedestrians. That clearly shows how unprotected we are on the streets against SUVs and high-speed cars.
Pedestrian crash totals for 2025:
- 314 total pedestrian crashes
- 16 fatal
- 78 with severe injuries
- 151 with moderate to minor injuries
In other words, pedestrians represented nearly two-thirds of all traffic fatalities, despite making up a fraction of road users. Many of these crashes occurred along arterials like Aurora Ave N, Rainier Ave S, and near downtown corridors where foot traffic meets fast-moving vehicles.
Cyclists: Injured, Not Killed — This Year
Seattle recorded 266 bicycle-involved crashes in 2025.
- 80 involved riders ages 25–34
- 41 resulted in serious injuries
- 0 fatalities
That zero matters. It suggests that while cyclists remain vulnerable, infrastructure, helmet use, vehicle speed, or sheer luck prevented deaths in 2025. Serious injuries, however, still point to long recoveries and permanent consequences for many riders.
Distracted Driving: The Bigger Picture
Officially, 1,018 crashes were linked to distracted driving.
Breakdown:
- 7 fatal
- 45 severe injuries
- 135 minor injuries
Interestingly, cell phone use was cited in just 27 cases. That doesn’t mean phones aren’t a problem — it means distraction often looks like something else: adjusting controls, looking away, talking to passengers.
Teen drivers played a significant role here:
- 50 distraction-related crashes caused by teen drivers
- 21 severe crashes involving teens driving under the influence
Alcohol-Involved Crashes
Alcohol remained a consistent factor:
- 395 alcohol-related crashes
- 3 fatal
- 37 with serious injuries
While alcohol wasn’t the leading cause numerically, its presence sharply increased crash severity.
Buses and Urban Density
Public transit vehicles were involved in 120 crashes citywide:
- 8 with serious injuries
- 14 with minor injuries
Hotspots included:
- Business District & Pioneer Square: 18 crashes
- Rainier Ave S: 3
- Pike/Pine Corridor: 7
- Aurora Ave N: 7
These numbers reflect density, not recklessness — but when buses collide, the number of people affected multiplies instantly.
In November, a crash near Delridge and Webster left a car nearly vertical against a utility pole, knocking out power to more than 4,400 customers and darkening traffic signals across West Seattle. No fatality was reported, but the impact rippled far beyond the crash site.
What 2025 Makes Clear
Seattle’s 2025 crash data suggests some interesting patterns:
- Certain roads carry disproportionate risk.
- Pedestrians face the highest fatality exposure.
- Teens and late-night driving remain volatile.
- Speed, distraction, and alcohol amplify consequences fast.
The numbers tell one story. The streets tell the rest.
And for anyone injured in a Seattle crash, understanding where and why these collisions happen is often the first step toward understanding what comes next.