Missouri roadway fatalities decrease for the second year in a row

Pedestrian fatalities reach highest number in the state's recorded history

According to preliminary data, 954 fatalities occurred on Missouri roadways in 2024. This is a 4% decrease when compared to 2023 and a 10% decrease from 2022. This is the second consecutive year that Missouri has seen a decrease in roadway fatalities.

Despite the continued progress, this number still amounts to nearly three lives lost on Missouri roadways every day, leaving plenty of room for improvement in 2025. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety stresses how the four simple actions of "Buckle Up, Phone Down, Slow Down and Drive Sober" could put a big dent in the fatality numbers.

While roadway fatalities were down overall, there was a 16% increase in pedestrian fatalities. This means a record number of pedestrian fatalities occurred in 2024, with 148 pedestrians being struck and killed. That’s the highest number ever reported in Missouri. Additionally, a percentage of the pedestrian fatalities were individuals who exited their vehicle due to a prior crash or breakdown on the side of the road.

Distracted driving has also continued to be a problem, contributing to more than 100 deaths in both 2023 and 2024. Missouri’s new Siddens-Bening Hands-Free Law hopes to have an effect as it now prohibits the use handheld electronic devices, including cell phones, by all drivers. The law has already had a positive impact and is expected to continue doing so with citations now in effect for violating the law.

Missouri’s strategic highway safety plan, Show-Me Zero, takes a comprehensive approach in creating a safe system to reduce and eliminate traffic fatalities. Through a combination of education, public policy, infrastructure improvements, traffic enforcement, emergency services and personal responsibility, Show-Me Zero provides opportunities for every Missourian to help make the state’s roadways safer.

For more information on the Show-Me Zero plan and to learn how all Missourians can help make the roadways safer, visit www.savemolives.com.

Tackling safety is a chief concern this Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is this weekend, and regardless of who you’re rooting for in the big game, there’s one thing we can all agree on: getting home safe is a winning play. This year’s Super Bowl Safety campaign runs from Feb. 6-9 and is focused on distracted driving due to the enforcement of the Siddens-Bening Law. Watch for the new PSA leading up to Sunday's big game.

MoDOT talks winter operations in new video series

As Missourians recover from the largest winter storm in over a decade, MoDOT has been discussing the impact the storm had on its operations. In a recent video, MoDOT’s Chief Safety & Operations Officer Becky Allmeroth detailed the role the department plays in winter weather operations and the coordination that is required with other agencies. Learn more.

Youth Transportation Conference applications open

The 2025 Youth Transportation Conference will be held July 7-11 in Jefferson City. Each year, MoDOT hosts this conference where students in grades 9-12 can use STEM-related concepts learned in school and apply them to transportation-related issues. Applications are accepted through March 17, with up to 40 students selected to attend. Apply online.

Today in Transportation: Feb. 6, 1872

Civil Engineer Robert Maillart, born in Switzerland, was known for his aesthetic bridge designs and use of structural reinforced concrete. The Salginatobel Bridge is the oldest surviving example of a three-hinged, hollow box arch bridge. His innovative design was the first concrete bridge declared an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. Learn more.