Racial disparities persist with WA state patrol traffic stops

Washington state troopers stop and search drivers of color more often than white Washingtonians, new data shows.

Washington State Patrol’s total traffic stops statewide dropped slightly in 2024, but remained well ahead of 2022 figures. Infractions issued climbed significantly in that period. The findings come as police accountability advocates have pressed state lawmakers unsuccessfully for new restrictions on when police in Washington can pull drivers over.

“Traffic stops really remain one of the most common forms of police-civilian contact, and it’s also one of the riskiest,” said Jazmyn Clark, the Smart Justice policy program director at the American Civil Liberties Union’s Washington chapter. “For many people of color, a traffic stop is often the most dangerous moment of police interaction.”

Black and Hispanic drivers were much more likely to be stopped last year than white drivers, according to state patrol data presented to lawmakers this month, with the rate of stops for Black drivers nearly double the rate for white motorists.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/22/racial-disparities-persist-with-wa-state-patrol-traffic-stops/