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With the year more than halfway over, Missouri traffic fatalities so far are down for the third consecutive year. Preliminary 2025 data from Jan. 1 - Aug. 24 reports 577 people have been killed in Missouri traffic crashes, down from 589 during the same period last year.
While the 2% decrease is encouraging through the busy summer construction season, it’s too early to know if the progress will hold as students return to school and Missourians transition to fall traffic patterns. Highway officials are encouraging everyone to keep doing what they can for the rest of the year to make Missouri’s roadways safer, especially leading into the busy travel schedule during the winter season.
Fortunately, the Missouri State Highway Patrol also reported a decrease in roadway fatalities during the 2025 Labor Day weekend period, with three fatalities across the state compared to 17 during the same period last year.
In 2024, an additional 344 people lost their lives in a Missouri traffic crash after Sept. 1, which was also down slightly from 364 such fatalities in 2023. If Missouri is to continue the reduction in traffic fatalities for the third year in a row, practicing safe driving habits in the final four months of the year will be crucial.
MoDOT encourages all Missourians to play their part toward reducing traffic fatalities by always committing to four simple actions:
- Buckle up.
- Phone down.
- Slow down.
- Drive sober.
These safe behaviors are proven to help save lives, whether you're driving through a work zone, sharing the road with motorcyclists or cruising around streets with pedestrians and school buses nearby.
For more information about how every Missourian can drive safer and help the state reach the goal of zero traffic fatalities, visit SaveMOLives.com.
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