As the season with the most traffic deaths approaches, the Missouri Department of Transportation is urging drivers to stay safe on roadways.
Memorial Day marks the start of the summer travel season and the 100 deadliest days on Missouri roads, according to MoDOT. The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day has historically seen more people killed in traffic crashes than the rest of the year.
“With more places to be, more people on the roads and more construction work across the state, it’s crucial to stay alert behind the wheel,” Becky Allmeroth, MoDOT’s chief safety and operations officer, said in a news release. “Whether you’re sharing the road with motorcyclists, driving around city streets with pedestrians in the area or traveling through a work zone, slowing down and paying attention can save lives, including your own.”
For the holiday weekend, MoDOT is suspending work zones that require routine lane closures. The work zones will be suspended noon Friday through 6 a.m. Tuesday.
Major work zones with permanent lane closures in Kansas City and St. Louis will remain in place. In Pulaski County, one lane of Interstate 44 in both directions will stay closed as the work zone remains operational.
Approximately 333 people were killed in crashes along Missouri highways during last year’s 100 deadliest days. In total, 1,016 people died in traffic crashes on Missouri roadways last year, according to the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety. According to MoDOT, distracted driving, excessive speeds and following too closely were the top three causes of crashes.
More people were killed in crashes during last year’s 100 deadliest days than have been killed so far this year.
As of May 22, 326 Missourians have been killed in crashes in 2022, according to the Coalition of Roadway Safety.
However, 2022 fatalities are keeping pace with fatalities in 2021, which was a record-setting year for traffic deaths in the state.
As of May 15, there were 311 traffic deaths in 2022 and at the same time last year there were 313. For the three years prior to 2021, the state had fewer than 300 deaths by May 15.
After nearly a decade of steady decline in traffic deaths, Missouri in 2021 surpassed 1,000 deaths for the first time since 2006. Sixty-five percent of motorists killed in 2021 were not wearing a seat belt.