What Makes Some Washington Intersections So Crash-Prone?

Every driver in Washington has felt that uneasy tension when approaching a busy intersection, the kind where traffic comes from all sides, lights are stacked high, and someone always seems to jump the gun. According to a recent study from Wells Trumbull, some of those intersections aren’t just stressful,  they’re statistically among the most crash-prone in the state.

The Hidden Role of Distracted Driving

The firm’s analysis of 2021–2024 crash data highlights locations like the State Route 204 and State Route 9 roundabout in Lake Stevens, which saw more than 270 collisions over four years. That’s not a coincidence. These high-collision zones share a few things in common: heavy traffic, complex layouts, and distracted drivers who look away at the worst possible moment.

The Intersection of Distraction and Design

Intersections already demand more attention than almost any other part of the road. Drivers must watch for lights, signs, cross-traffic, pedestrians, cyclists, and lane markings, often while deciding which lane to enter or exit. That level of multitasking doesn’t mix well with distraction.

Unfortunately, Washington drivers aren’t immune to it. Even though the state banned handheld phone use behind the wheel years ago, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission still lists distracted driving as one of the top contributing factors in serious crashes. A quick glance at a text, a podcast change, or a navigation adjustment can delay reaction time just long enough to cause a collision, especially in intersections where every second matters.

Why Washington’s Worst Intersections Amplify Distraction

Many of the intersections are located near highways or busy commuter corridors, they handle multiple traffic streams at once, and several are roundabouts or redesigned crossings. Here’s how those features make distracted driving even more dangerous:

1. New or complex layouts: Multi-lane roundabouts and multi-signal intersections require constant visual focus. When drivers look down at a phone or screen for even two seconds, they can easily miss a yield sign or drift into the wrong lane.
2. High traffic volume: Crowded intersections create more visual noise and less time to react. A distracted driver entering a high-speed merge can cause multi-vehicle chain reactions.
3. Changing construction zones: The study noted a 17% rise in work-zone crashes between 2023 and 2024. Construction adds detours and temporary signs that demand quick adaptation,something a distracted driver simply can’t do safely.
4. False sense of routine: Local drivers who pass through the same intersection daily may feel comfortable enough to “multitask”, checking messages, changing playlists, even though familiarity can breed overconfidence.

When a Few Seconds of Distraction Becomes Catastrophic

Distracted driving is sometimes described as taking your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel, or your mind off the task, but at intersections, it’s usually all three. A few seconds of inattention can mean running a red light, missing a stopped vehicle ahead, or turning directly into oncoming traffic. Those few seconds can create a ripple effect: one distracted driver rear-ends another, which pushes a vehicle into the next lane, triggering a chain reaction of damage and injuries.

Legal and Safety Implications

When crashes happen at known high-risk intersections, investigators and attorneys often look closely at whether distraction was involved. In many cases, cell phone data, vehicle infotainment records, and eyewitness accounts help determine whether a driver was paying attention in the seconds before the crash. Distracted drivers can be held legally responsible not only for the collision itself, but also for the increased danger they pose in areas already known for heavy traffic or confusing design.

Staying Focused Where It Matters Most

Intersections may never be completely risk-free, but drivers can make them safer by cutting out the one factor that consistently makes them worse: distraction.

Here are a few simple but powerful steps:

• Put the phone out of reach. Even hands-free interactions can delay reactions when traffic changes quickly.
• Rely on navigation audio, not visuals. Set your route before you drive and listen for directions.
• Pause multitasking. Eating, grooming, or handling items while driving through intersections is riskier than most realize.
• Watch for construction and new layouts. Expect lane shifts and unfamiliar signs.
• Slow down and scan. Give yourself extra time to read signals and anticipate other drivers’ moves.

It’s not just design or traffic flow that make intersections crash-prone, it’s the moments when distracted drivers look away from the road and miss what’s right in front of them. A safer intersection doesn’t always require new construction or technology. Sometimes, it just requires drivers who are fully paying attention.