Traffic Fatalities Increase In Missouri

While passenger traffic in Missouri has plummeted due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Missouri state troopers say there’s actually been a three percent increase in traffic fatalities for the year. Missouri State Highway Patrol Captain John Hotz says passenger traffic is down 47 percent statewide since March 13th.

“It is alarming when you see a significant reduction in traffic, and yet we’re still having the same number of fatal crashes, or even a little bit more than what had we had last year.”

There have been 174 traffic fatalities statewide in 2020, compared to 168 at this time last year. Capt. Hotz says driving 90-miles-per-hour has “unfortunately become commonplace”:

“We know that the faster that you’re going when you have a traffic crash, the more severe that crash is going to be, there’s just no way around it, we can’t cheat the laws of physics”

He emphasizes that troopers are increasing their visibility and enforcement on roads.

“We’re practicing social distancing just like everyone else, but in the end we have a job to do. If we have people that are out there endangering themselves or others, we’re going to take enforcement action on that”

Three MoDOT trucks have been hit by motorists in the past week.

MoDOT says passenger traffic in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas is down 49 percent in the past month. It’s down 61 percent in the Branson area.