Roadway deaths trending down for third year

By Phil Cobb | September 17, 2025 |

MoDOT logo

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Transportation recently announced that as another school year kicks off in Missouri, traffic fatalities in the state are down — so far — for the third consecutive year.

According to a news release from MoDOT, preliminary data shows from Jan. 1 to Aug. 24, 577 people were killed in Missouri traffic crashes, down from 589 during the same period last year. While the 2 percent decrease is encouraging, it’s too early to know if progress will hold, especially as Missourians transition to fall traffic patterns, the news release stated.

“Gains on this front are incredibly encouraging, but we have a long way to go to achieve our ultimate goal, especially as the second half of the year typically presents its own challenges,” State Highway Safety and Traffic Engineer Jon Nelson said in the release. “Road construction, school-related activities, shorter days, holiday travel and inclement weather: Now is not the time to ease up or become complacent.”

Last year, 344 people lost their lives in Missouri traffic crashes after Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, 2024, and there were 364 such fatalities for the same time frame in 2023.

“The road to zero fatalities is no easy feat, but as we work toward that, we need everyone to step up and do their part,” Nelson said. “It starts with every one of us making the simple commitment to use the transportation system in a safe manner — for ourselves, our loved ones and others using the roads.”

MoDOT is encouraging all Missourians to help keep momentum by committing to four simple actions: Buckle up, phone down, slow down, and drive sober. Drivers can plan their trip ahead of time with MoDOT’s Traveler Information Map at traveler.modot.org, where drivers can find current work zones, closures and incidents. Missouri’s strategic highway safety plan, Show-Me Zero, provides more information for how all Missourians can do their part to achieve zero traffic fatalities. The plan can be viewed at savemolives.com.