Western WA has state's most dangerous stretch of highway

Western Washington is home to the most dangerous stretch of highway in the state, according to an analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data by Seattle Injury Law.

The majority of the most dangerous stretches are along I-5, with the most dangerous 10-mile stretch between South 38th Street in Tacoma and State Route 18.

Washington State Patrol Trooper Kameron Watts explained there are several reasons why.

“It’s a busy area. It leads to the Port of Tacoma. There is a lot of semi-truck traffic. There is a copious amount of moving violations that are happening, by the hour, in this area [like speeding and aggressive driving]. It’s a high-traffic area. There’s usually construction in the area, and a lot of distracted driving,” Watts said.

From 2019 to 2023, that stretch