The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is reporting that, as of July 8th, the statistics for traffic deaths in the state is down 5% compared to last year.
This is a breath of fresh air, seeing as traffic deaths have only rose across the country since the start of the pandemic.
MoDOT specifically seeing an increase in speed-related fatalities across the state in the last two years, accounting for 40% of road deaths in 2020 and 35% last year.
“So, it'd be down 5%, this year is promising. But it's hard to celebrate it as well, because we've still lost more than 460 people already this year in 2022. So hopefully we can continue to make some progress and, in the year, moving back in the direction we want to go, which is Toward Zero Fatalities on our roadways,” said Jonathan Nelson, Assistant to State Highway and Traffic Engineer for MoDOT.
To help Missouri get closer to zero deaths on the roadways, MoDOT advises all drivers to always wear your seatbelt, and if you are the driver, put your phone down, and focus all attention to the roadway.
According to a release put out earlier in the year, since the beginning of 2022, 35 counties across the state have had zero fatalities. There have also been four separate instances of consecutive days with zero fatalities. This was prior to the July 4th week.
Preliminary data shows from January 1st to July 5th, 419 people were killed in Missouri traffic crashes, which is down from 445 in the same period from 2021.
It is a step in the right direction, but more can be done to stop traffic fatalities.
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Source: MoDOT
