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 experienced a slight decrease in the number and rate of fatalities involving CMVs in 2020 compared to 2019 likely due to fewer passenger vehicles on the roadways.  In 2021, as more passenger vehicles returned to the roads, Missouri experienced an increase of 24 fatalities involving a CMV as compared to 2020. This resulted in a 2021 fatality rate of 1.26 compared to 1.18 for 2020.  The target for 2021 was 111 or fewer fatalities and unfortunately this goal was not met. Between 2017 and 2021, fatalities involving a CMV increased from 1.15 to 1.26 per 100 million CMV vehicle miles traveled.

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 13% improvement rate from the Missouri Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan for 2021.