State transportation officials say distracted driving is a leading cause of crashes in Missouri.
Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) chief engineer Eric Schroeter briefed reporters in Columbia last week. He’s appealing to you to put your phone down and to pay attention to the road:
“Think about all the other people that are affected. All the other families that can be harmed by your simple being distracted. That text can wait, that ding will be there. Matter of seconds. And it only takes seconds to look away and for something tragic to happen,” Mr. Schroeter says.
MoDOT says Missouri is currently on track to surpass 2024 traffic fatality numbers statewide. The agency says there were 955 traffic-related deaths statewide in 2024, and there have been 745 traffic fatalities statewide this year, with about two months left in 2025. MoDOT and the Missouri State Highway Patrol are issuing an urgent call for you to slow down and to pay attention.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is not ruling out using planes or helicopters again to try to stop speeding that continues to happen in work zones and on roads. MoDOT says some motorists are driving more than 100 miles per hour in work zones. Highway Patrol Captain Scott White tells 939 the Eagle that the enforcement is aimed at saving lives and keeping our roads safe:
“Our goal is not to make money. We’re not a revenue generator. We don’t keep this money. It’s to save lives because we’re the ones that go out and we knock on the doors,” Captain White says.
The Patrol and MoDOT briefed reporters at MoDOT’s maintenance shed on Columbia’s Paris road.