OLYMPIA, Wash. – Traffic fatalities are up in Washington state.
Traffic deaths in Washington reached a 20-year high in 2021, at 663 fatalities.
KIRO reports the trend appears to be continuing, with more deaths in the first quarter of 2022 than last year, according to preliminary data.
To combat this, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission is launching a new public education campaign going into the summer, which historically has the highest rates of traffic accidents.
The campaign looks to encourage a community-based culture of traffic safety and will run ads in eight languages across multiple media outlets, including the radio.
Similar campaigns have been shown to be effective at increasing seatbelt usage in other states, according to the WTSC.
