Write Up:

Commercial Motor Vehicles play a vital role in the nation’s economy by transporting the products that are needed. By tracking the number of CMV involved fatalities, MoDOT can target educational and enforcement efforts, as well as improve safety features along Missouri roadways. MoDOT partners with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Kansas City Police Department and St. Louis County Police Department to keep people safe while traveling in and around CMVs.

While efforts from MoDOT and the partner agencies are effective in improving safety on roadways, Missouri has not experienced a significant decrease in the number and rate of fatalities involving CMVs. Between 2016 and 2020, fatalities involving a CMV had no change and the fatality rate decreased from 1.29 to 1.18 per 100 million CMV vehicle miles traveled. In 2020, Missouri experienced a decrease of 16 fatalities involving a CMV as compared to 2019. This resulted in a 2020 fatality rate of 1.18 compared to 1.27 for 2019.  The target for 2020 was 127 fatalities and unfortunately this goal was not met.

Purpose of the Measure:

This measure tracks annual trends in fatalities involving Commercial Motor Vehicles. This data guides the development and focus of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan, which is the plan required to receive Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program funds.

Measurement and Data Collection:

Missouri law enforcement agencies submit a vehicle accident report form to the Missouri State Highway Patrol to be entered into a statewide traffic crash database. The database automatically updates MoDOT’s crash database system, which is a part of the Transportation Management System. The fatal rates on the charts display the annual fatality and injury rates per 100 million vehicle miles traveled for commercial motor vehicles for these same crashes. The targets are based on a 9% improvement rate from the immediate prior year fatalities from the immediate prior year.