ST. LOUIS — Increased patrols begin today on four streches of St. Louis-area interstate that officials have identified as "some of the deadliest in the state." It comes as Missouri is on pace top 1,000 traffic fatalities in 2022. Last year, Missouri’s total number of traffic fatalities exceeded 1,000 for the first time in more than 15 years, that’s according to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT).

To help reduce the number of traffic deaths in Missouri, MoDOT and the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) are working together to educate motorists on the dangers of aggressive driving.

“Speeding, distracted driving and impaired driving are the main contributing factors to these fatal and serious injury crashes,” said Nicole Hood, MoDOT’s state highway safety and traffic engineer. “Every driver has a role to play to reverse this trend, and this partnership is an opportunity to bring that message straight to some of the most dangerous corridors.”

Law enforcement will target these areas in a focused education and enforcement effort beginning in April. They will communicate to drivers the importance of obeying all traffic laws, for their safety and the safety of those around them.

A total of 19 fatal crashes and 83 serious injury crashes were reported in the following St. Louis County corridors between 2018-2020.

·     I-270: mile marker 28-33 (Elizabeth Avenue to Lilac Avenue)

·     I-170: mile marker 4.5-9.5 (Hazelwood city limits to Vinita Park city limits)

·     I-55: mile marker 197-201B (I-270 ramp to Weber Road)

·     I-270: mile marker 13-19 (Route AB ramp to west city limits of Maryland Heights)

“Promoting safety on Missouri roadways has always been a priority with the Patrol,” said Capt. Ryan Burckhardt, commanding officer of Troop C. 

“This education and enforcement campaign is aimed at reducing traffic violations and ultimately traffic crashes on these corridors.”

Missouri’s highway safety plan, Show-Me Zero, highlights four ways to eliminate traffic deaths, including buckle up, phone down, slow down, and drive sober.

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