Crash Statistics Preface
Statistics are provided describing Missouri's crash experience and characteristics. The primary source for these statistics is the Statewide Traffic Accident Records System maintained by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Missouri's historic crash and severity experience as well as causal factors are described including number of persons killed and injured, death and injury rates, crash circumstances, speed involvement, alcohol involvement, young driver involvement, and older driver involvement. The publication, Missouri Traffic Safety Compendium provides detailed crash statistics.
- Rates: To compensate for increases or decreases in traffic flow, crash related deaths and injuries are normalized by annual vehicle miles traveled.
- Death Rate: The number of deaths resulting from traffic crashes per 100 million miles of travel that occurred in the State annually. The formula is:(Annual deaths X 100,000,000) / Annual Vehicle Miles of Travel
- Injury Rate: The number of deaths and injuries resulting from traffic crashes per 100 million miles of travel that occurred in the State annually. The formula is:(Annual deaths and injuries X 100,000,000) / Annual Vehicle Miles of Travel
- Death Rate: The number of deaths resulting from traffic crashes per 100 million miles of travel that occurred in the State annually.
- Crash Types (Severity): Statistics are provided for three levels of crashes: Fatal, Personal Injury, and Property Damage
- Fatal Traffic Crash: A crash in which one or more persons were killed as a result of the crash and their death(s) occurred within 30 days of the incident. From 1979 - 1987, a crash would be classified as a fatal if their death(s) occurred within 90 days of the incident. Prior to 1979, a crash would be classified as a fatal if their death(s) occurred within 12 months of the incident.
- Personal Injury Traffic Crash: Any crash in which no person was killed but one or more persons were injured in the incident.
- Property Damage Traffic Crash: Any crash in which no person was killed or injured but property was damaged in the incident.
- Causative Factors: Statistics are provided for four crash causative factors: Alcohol Involvement, Speed Involvement, Young Driver Involvement, and Older Driver Involvement.
- Alcohol Involved Traffic Crash: Any crash in which one or more drivers or pedestrians were drinking and, in the opinion of the investigating officer, their intoxicated condition contributed to the cause of the crash. There are strong indications that investigating officers under-report drinking involvement as a contributing factor in traffic crashes. As a result, this under-reporting should be taken into consideration when reviewing drinking involved data.
- Speed Involved Traffic Crash: Any crash in which one or more drivers of motorized vehicles were exceeding the speed limit or driving too fast for conditions and, in the opinion of the investigating law enforcement officer, the driver error contributed to the cause of the crash.
- Older Driver Involved Traffic Crash: Any crash in which one or more drivers of motorized vehicles directly involved in the traffic crash were 55 years of age or older.
- Younger Driver Involved Traffic Crash: Any crash in which one or more drivers of motorized vehicles directly involved in the traffic crash were under the age of 21. Click on an area above to view crash statistics.