Reflections from this Week's Fatality Report

Central Region for Missouri's Coalition for Roadway Safety has a seen a dramatic reduction in fatalities this year.

So far, 26 people have died in Central Missouri using Missouri's highways, and roads.  Last year, 35 people had lost their lives in the Central Region.

Are the numbers going up or down?

It is 9 fewer than last year at this time. This is a 26% reduction when compared to last year.

How do we compare with the rest of the state?

The Coalition has 10 regions. Central Region has the second highest number of fatalities at 26. Only the St. Louis region has had more people killed.

Were they wearing their safety belts?

6 out of the 10 fatalities were not wearing a safety belt. Last year, it was closer to 8 out 10.

What is the deadliest day of the week?

It is a tie between Saturday and Wednesday at 5 each.

What about young drivers and passengers?

5 out of the 26 killed were between the ages of 15 and 20. Three of these were not wearing a safety belt. One involved a motorcycle. We also had 1 infant so far.

Multiple fatalities crashes?

All of the crashes this year have only had a single fatality. Last year, we had 4 crashes with multiple deaths. Most of these had 2 fatalities, but we had one with 3 fatalities.

Where have they occurred?

 

U.S. Numbered highways had the most at 9. County roads and city streets were next at 7.

This was followed by State Lettered routes and then by Missouri Numbered routes.

Last year, U.S. Numbered highways had the least number of deaths.

What about alcohol and drugs?

 

Four of the fatalities involved some sort of impairment. 19% of the fatalities that occurred across the state involved an impaired driver, while in Central Region, the percentage of impaired drivers is 15%.

What about the counties?

Last year, I was pulling for Gasconade to be the county without a fatality, but that didn't happen.

This year, Morgan and Moniteau counties are in the running with zero fatalities so far. Something to watch as the year continues.

Our biggest concern is Pettis county which is experiencing a large increase this year. They have had 6 fatalities to date. Last year, they only had 1.

Benton, Cole, Gasconade, and Maries are counties who are experiencing a higher number of fatalities over last year.

This also means that our biggest counties are seeing a decrease. These are Boone, Callaway, Camden, and Miller.

What is Matt's View?

I have to say this is not just about the numbers. There are 26 families trying to work through this time in their lives the best they can.

It is encouraging to know that we are seeing a large reduction so far this year. We even have a few counties that could have zero fatalities.

But, there is still work to be done. Out of the 10 regions, the Central Region usually has enough fatalities to be the second or third worst region in the state.

We need to keep reminding ourselves and others to emphasize and practices what works:

Wear a safety belt, drive sober, leave cell phone down, and stay attentive.

Thanks for reading, M

Super Bowl is a beer holiday

Yea!! It's Super Bowl Week and Sunday is the big game. I can't wait.

For some people though, this week was not so "Super."

As I arrived at work yesterday, I received a call from my Operations crew. They were called out at midnight to clean up after a drunk driver. The driver snapped a wood pole, which holds up the stoplights at an intersection.

But, I was reminded how "Super" this crew was, because they repaired a broken pole and the stop lights before the morning commuters showed up.

How does this tie into the Super Bowl?

The two weeks prior to Super Bowl Sunday is one of the highest periods for cases of beer sold. In fact, when compared to other "holidays", Super Bowl Sunday is the 10th highest. You can see this fact on Tuesday's USA Today Snapshot on their front page.

As you make arrangements to enjoy the day with your friends and family, please keep the following two items in mind.

First - Be Responsible. There are many options available that prevent impaired driving. Don't let am impaired person get behind the wheel when leaving a party.

Second - Buckle Up. Tuesday, someone drove through a wood pole because they were not responsible for their actions. As you travel this Sunday, you may encounter a similar driver, and I don't want you to share the same fate as the pole. Using a seat belt is probably your last defense for such an offensive move.

Hope your team plays as well on Sunday as mine performed last Tuesday.

M

Three Seconds Before the Crash

A local television station called me last week with questions about the dangers of distracted driving. They had heard the announcement by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and National Safety Council President Janet Froetscher about the creation of a national nonprofit organization called FocusDriven. It is the first of its kind devoted specifically to raising awareness about the dangers of distracted driving.

The reporter wanted to know my view on distracted driving and I was very pleased to take the time to talk with him about this topic. Distracted driving is serious business and a growing concern among safety advocates nationwide.

Although many people think of driving as just a routine task, the reality is that controlling an automobile takes a driver’s full attention. Did you know it only take three seconds to travel more than 300 feet when driving 70 mph? The National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration says that 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involve some sort of driving distraction occurring within three seconds before the vehicle crash. One such distraction is texting while driving.

It is not okay to think you can take your eyes off the road to focus on the keyboard of your phone in an attempt to send or read a text. No message is so important that it cannot wait until you have stopped in a safe location.

Our society is a busy one and technology has made the communication of information instant. I have mentioned before how much I depend upon my Blackberry. It allows me to multitask and get a lot done—anywhere and at anytime. But we need to learn to use our technology responsibly and we need to teach our driving-age children to do the same.

My hope is that you pause to think about what you can do now to prevent a crash, rather than think about what you wish you had done differently after a crash. My hope is that my words in this blog or on television this week might just save a life. Please give driving your full attention.

Respond to my blog and let me know what you think.

Matt