Study shows top crash-prone intersections in King County

Published 2:52 pm Wednesday, February 18, 2026

King County is home to 11 of the 30 most crash-prone intersections in the state, according to a study by an Arlington personal injury law firm.

Wells Trumbell analyzed Washington State Patrol collision data from 2011 to 2024 and identified the 30 intersections with the highest tally of crashes in that span. King County had the most intersections listed with 11, and they were all outside of Seattle.

“As cities expand and suburban areas develop, road design and infrastructure are increasingly scrutinized for safety,” according to the legal team at Wells Trumbell. “Among the many factors considered, intersections stand out as critical points where traffic flow, visibility, and signal timing can significantly impact driver safety. Intersections are among the most common locations for crashes.”

While a roundabout in Lake Stevens took the top spot with 272 crashes, the intersection of S. 348th Street and SR 18 in Federal Way placed third with 140 crashes.

Kent took the top spot for cities with six intersections:

• 116th Avenue SE and Kent Kangley Road (seventh) with 99.

• Kent Des Moines Road /SR 516 and Military Road. S (eighth) with 97.

• SE 240th Street and 104th Avenue SE (11th) with 93.

• 108th Avenue SE and SE 208th Street (12th) with 92.

• E. Smith Street and Central Avenue N. (25th) with 76.

• SR 181/ Washington Ave. S and SR 516/Kent Des Moines Road (25th) with 76.

Federal Way intersections that also made the list were Pacific Highway and South 272nd Street (10th) with 95 crashes, and Pacific Highway South and South 312th Street (27th) with 75.

The other King County intersections listed were Pacific Highway and Kent Des Moines Road in Des Moines (13th) with 86, and International Boulevard and South 188th Street in SeaTac (22nd) with 79.

Four of the top six intersections were roundabouts, but no other roundabouts made the list. These intersections were in Snohomish, Thurston, Benton and Yakima counties. While roundabouts may cause initial confusion for drivers after installation, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that U.S. intersections that converted from signals or stop signs to roundabouts have seen reductions in injury crashes of 72% to 80%, and in all crashes, 35% to 47%.

The injury severity data shown in the Wells Trumbull study showed these roundabout intersections had no fatal accidents and were all above 86% no injury. A roundabout in Lacey had the lowest injury rate with 9%, despite having the second most accidents.

The highest injury rate intersection was Pacific Highway South and South 312th Street in Federal Way with an injury rate of 48%. In Kent, 116th Avenue SE and Kent Kangley Road had the fourth highest injury rate among the intersections listed at 41%. Two Tacoma intersections separated the two.