Highway 5 has most deaths per year on Missouri roads, officials say numbers could be misleading for road’s overall safety
BOONVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ)
Data from the National Traffic Highway Administration Shows that Highway 5 has seen the most deaths in the state during the past five years.
The highway saw an average of 11 traffic-related deaths per year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System data from 2018-22.
On Tuesday, four people were seriously injured in Howard County on Highway 5, south of County Road 345, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.
However, Kyle Green of the Missouri State Highway Patrol said these numbers can be misleading. Highway 13 had the second-highest average number of deaths in the last five years with an average of 10.2. State Route 30 came in third with an average of 8.8 deaths.
Highway 5 is the longest highway in the state. It stretches 650 miles across three different states and thousands travel it every year to get to the Lake of the Ozarks during the summer. Green said that given the data, Highway 5 is actually the safest on the list since Highway 13, is only 290 miles long while Highway 30 is just 52 miles.
Last year there were 991 deaths on Missouri roadways, which was 66 fewer than in 2022. While the number of fatal crashes on Missouri roadways went down last year, experts that summer months can lead to a dangerous spike in traffic fatalities.
“Nationally, the traffic fatality numbers are coming down a bit but this is coming off an all-time high a couple of years ago so we still have a long way to go,” David Reich, a spokesman for the National Road Safety Foundation, said.
Reich said the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day tends to be the most dangerous time of year on roadways, especially for teenagers. According to the National Road Safety Foundation, 2,100 teen drivers are killed each year in crashes with 30% of those occurring during that period.
“First of all, they’re out driving more. They’re out of school. Even if they're working, they're still just driving more than they would be throughout the school year. Very often, they're partying. They're going out with friends and for a teen driver, other young people in the car is a real risk. It can be a major distraction,” Reich said.
Reich also said that fatigued driving can be a distraction during long road trips, something that is much more common during the summer months. The Lake of the Ozarks averages millions of visitors each year, many of which are coming from out of state.
For those planning on taking a road trip this summer, Reich said that fatigued driving is a symptom to watch for.
"If you do feel that you're losing track of how much you've driven, or you're sort of losing track of which exit you're around on the highway, if you're yawning a lot or you're or struggling to keep your eyes open, those are signs of fatigued or drowsy driving," Reich said. "That can happen after you've been driving a long time, especially on roads where it's kind of monotonous and you're seeing the same thing all the time.”
He advises drivers who are experiencing fatigued driving to either find a spot to pull over to rest or find a nearby rest stop to get some caffeine. He also warns about more impaired drivers on the road during summer holidays such as Independence Day. Ultimately, he says the best way to stay safe on the roads this summer is to be a courteous driver and avoid speeding, tailgating other drivers and distracted driving.
"Sending a text or looking at a text on the cell phone takes your eyes off the road for three-or-four-to-five seconds at highway speed,” Reich said. “Three, four seconds, you're going in the length of a football field. So just imagine driving the length of a football field basically with your eyes closed. I mean, it is just a recipe for disaster.”
