MoDOT urges seat belt use and slower speeds to reduce fatalities

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and the Missouri State Highway Patrol are promoting safe driving practices to achieve a fourth consecutive year of declining roadway fatalities. Officials noted that while deaths have decreased over the last three years, 716 motorists have been killed on Missouri roads in 2026 so far.

During the 10th annual Buckle Up, Phone Down Day, MoDOT State Highway Safety and Traffic Engineer Jon Nelson highlighted that the 12 percent of motorists who do not wear seat belts account for nearly 60 percent of vehicle occupant fatalities. Additionally, officials are addressing distracted driving, which was a factor in 97 deaths in 2025.

In I-70 work zones between Kingdom City and Boonville, construction workers are requesting that motorists slow down. Authorities also reminded drivers of the Siddens-Bening Hands-Free Law, which prohibits phone use while driving. Under this law, violations can escalate from fines to felony charges if they result in severe injury, death, or significant property damage.