From a public safety perspective, Missouri is not having a good year.
Fatal traffic accidents and drownings both have increased significantly, according to statistics released this week by the Missouri Highway Patrol.
Traffic fatalities total 437 to date this year, compared to 412 during the same period in 2014. And 30 drownings have been recorded to date on the state's waterways, exceeding the 29 drownings in all of 2014.
On the roadways, inattention, speed and impaired driving continue to be the leading causes of traffic crashes, according to the patrol.
We're not surprised inattention is a major factor. Vehicle marketing has moved from reliability and affordability to fuel efficiency to entertainment. Witness the TV advertisement where adults delight in high-tech dashboard options and another where children register displeasure when shifted from the van outfitted with wireless capability to a competitor with no such feature.
Much of the emphasis toward developing self-driving cars is to eliminate the danger of ever-increasing driver distractions.
Newer vehicles do include more safety features, but the most effective safety device - a seat belt - is useful only if used. Regarding the fatality numbers, the patrol reported approximately 63 percent of them were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
On the waterways, flooding in Missouri this year has increased dangers and has been a contributing factor in drownings.
The patrol reported four drownings have occurred in the past week, and none of the victims was wearing a life jacket.
"Flooded river and streams with strong current present some of the most dangerous situations a boater can encounter," the patrol reported, adding, "As temperatures rise, more people will utilize our waterways to cool off. Be smart; don't overestimate your swimming ability."
Driving and water recreation are not meant to be hazardous activities, but both require attention and adherence to common sense.
The fatality numbers so far this year provide ample evidence of what happens when we fail to do so.