Regions Connnect
EVENTS
Upcoming Events:
Feb. 16 - 18, 2012: Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Wrestling Championships at Mizzou Arena in Columbia
Feb. 16 - 17, 2012: Distracted Driving Summit at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City
Feb. 20 - 22, 2012: Vehicle Rollover Simulator Display at Camdenton High School
Mar. 8 - 10, 2012/
March 15 - 17, 2012:
Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Basketball Championships at Mizzou Arena in Columbia
March 21, 2012: Jefferson City High School Health Fair, 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.
April 20, 2012: Statewide FFA Convention - Hearnes Center, Columbia
NEWS
Traffic Fatalities Decline for Sixth Straight Year
JEFFERSON CITY - The last time annual traffic fatalities were as low as the preliminary numbers for 2011, drivers lucky enough to have a radio in the car could cruise while listening to the new recording of Some Enchanted Evening by Perry Como.
Though the count will not be considered final for a few months, the Missouri Department of Transportation announced that as of Jan.4, Missouri traffic crash fatalities totaled 773 in 2011. This is nearly six percent lower than the 821 fatalities experienced in 2010 and the lowest total since the late 1940s.
"Last year was the sixth consecutive year Missouri's crash fatality rate fell," said Leanna Depue, MoDOT's Highway Safety director. "We applaud Missouri drivers who pay attention, drive defensively and take care to travel safely. They share credit for this drop in fatalities with a number of hard-working law enforcement professionals and emergency services personnel, those who focus on highway and vehicle safety improvements and messengers who help people adopt safer behaviors. These dedicated folks help more people arrive alive."
The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety, a group of safety partners, challenged the state to work toward a goal of 850 or fewer roadway fatalities by 2012. That goal was met in 2010 and has since been surpassed. But Depue said the coalition would not rest and would continue to work toward zero fatalities in Missouri.
Roadway Fatalities for 2011
Year Ending December 31, 2011
| County | 2011 Fatalities | 2010 Fatalities | % Change |
| Boone | 10 | 11 | -9% (-1) |
| Callaway | 9 | 12 | -25% (-3) |
| Camden | 5 | 6 | -17% (-1) |
| Cole | 7 | 11 | -36% (-4) |
| Cooper | 3 | 2 | +50% (+1) |
| Crawford | 9 | 6 | +50% (+3) |
| Dent | 3 | 5 | -40% (-2) |
| Gasconade | 7 | 1 | +600% (+6) |
| Howard | 1 | 3 | -67% (-2) |
| Laclede | 8 | 6 | +33% (+2) |
| Maries | 1 | 4 | -75% (-3) |
| Miller | 13 | 3 | +333% (+10) |
| Moniteau | 1 | 3 | -67% (-2) |
| Morgan | 6 | 5 | +20% (+1) |
| Osage | 3 | 4 | -25% (-1) |
| Phelps | 10 | 4 | +150% (+6) |
| Pulaski | 12 | 7 | +71% (+5) |
| Washington | 11 | 8 | +38% (+3) |
| TOTALS | 119 | 92 | +29% (+27) |
2010 Regional Battle of the Belt Winners Recognized
Safety Belt Campaign Aims to Save Lives
High school students from Central Missouri were recognized on March 29, 2011 for their efforts to improve seat belt safety at their schools. Eugene High School and St. Elizabeth High School were awarded top regional prizes in the 2010 Battle of the Belt, a contest sponsored by the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety and American Family Insurance.
The Battle of the Belt challenges schools to compete against one another to increase safety belt usage and save lives. Participating schools launch two surprise seat belt checks on school grounds to measure student seat belt use before and after an educational campaign. Schools can also enter a public service announcement competition to create a 30-second video spot aimed at encouraging peers to buckle up.
The competition is held during the fall and the results are revealed in the spring. More than 135 schools participated this year, including 30 in the central Missouri region.
Eugene High School won the central Missouri regional award for highest overall safety belt usage, achieving 96.1 percent seat belt use. St. Elizabeth High School was awarded the regional prize for most improved safety belt usage, increasing their seat belt rate by 41.6 percent. Both regional winners were recognized during ceremonies held at the schools in late March.
All schools in the competition are also recognized for reaching a certain percentage of seat belt use rates: Gold for a 99 percent rate, silver for at least 95 percent, and bronze for at least 91 percent. In Central Missouri, Eugene High School was recognized at the silver level, and St. Elizabeth High School and Fatima High School were recognized at the bronze level.
In the public service announcement competition, the Columbia Area Career Center’s video took third place out of the 43 submissions from across the state.
Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for young people. Only 66 percent of Missouri teens wear their seat belt. Three out of four teens killed in traffic crashes were not buckled up.
For more information on the Battle of the Belt Challenge, visit www.modot.org/Safety/BattleoftheBeltChallenge.htm.
Eugene High School was recognized on March 29, 2011 for having the highest percentage of seat belt usage (96 percent) for schools in the Central Region.
Students from St. Elizabeth High School were recognized on March 29, 2011 for improving their seat belt usage by 41.6 percent.
More Missourians ARRIVED ALIVE
in 2010
Missouri Meets 2012 Goal Two Years Early
More people arrived alive on Missouri roads in 2010, the fifth year in a row with a reduction in roadway fatalities. As of Jan. 25, 2011, the number of fatalities stands at 821 for 2010 - which means 436 lives were saved last year alone.
"These numbers show we're saving lives on Missouri highways, and that's a great thing," said Kevin Keith, director of the Missouri Department of Transportation. "That means more people we know and love are making it home safely."
Not since 1949 has Missouri seen so few people killed in highway crashes. Overall since 2005, 1,538 lives have been saved on Missouri roadways, a decrease of 35 percent. The coalition credits a combination of law enforcement, educational efforts, emergency medical services, engineering enhancements and public policy as the successful formula for saving lives.
View Photos from the News Conference Here (Flickr)
Capital City Hoops Showcase
Dec. 27-30, 2010
The Central Region Coalition for Roadway Safety sponsored the 2010 Arrive Alive Slam Dunk Contest and Three Point Shootout during the Capital City Hoops Showcase in Jefferson City, Mo.
Members of the coalition worked at the event, with various safety displays and activities available to all that attended.
Click on photos for larger image.
Buckle Bear high-fives the students as they prepare for the three-point shootout.
Buckle Bear with the Jefferson City Jays.
Boone County Sheriff Officer Brian Lear congratulates the winner of the women's three-point shootout contest.
Boone County Sheriff Officer Brian Lear congratulates the winner of the men's three-point shootout contest.
Buckle Bear ducks for cover as a slam dunk participant leaps over him.
Ms Wheelchair USA Phaedra Marriott-Olsen congratulates the winner of the Arrive Alive slam dunk contest.
Do you have a seat belt hero story to share?
Tell us about it at comments@modot.mo.gov
The Day Started Off Just Like Any Other Day
Sixteen-year old Jessica of Osage County was involved in a roll-over crash in Oct. 2009. She credits her seat belt for saving her from serious injury or death. The following is Jessica's story in her own words...
![[red_Toyota_3.jpg]](images/red_Toyota_3.jpg)
The day started off just like any other day. I was going to my aunt's house so I could put her kids on the bus. So I got out of bed, took a shower, and got ready. I was supposed to be there at 6:15 that morning, but I was running a little late and didn't leave my house until 6:06 a.m.
As I was driving Highway 63 I approached a big curve. I went over the center line and freaked out because I thought a car was going to come around the curve. So, I jerked the wheel back over. I went too far over the white line and into the gravel. I jerked the wheel trying to get out of it and overcorrected my vehicle. After that, it felt like a really weird dream. I went down a huge embankment. There was dirt and glass flying everywhere. The only thing I could do was scream; so I did the entire way down and as a result, I had dirt in my teeth and down my throat.
I kept asking myself if this was really happening to me. I seriously thought that my life was over. The car kept flipping over and over until I hit another tree and stopped. The air bag shot out of the steering wheel and jerked me back.
If it wouldn't have been for the seat belt, they would've been looking for me. I'm really lucky that I didn't get hurt or even killed. The only thing I got from it was burn on my chin from the air bag, and that only lasted about two weeks.
-- Jessica
Rollover Crash Simulator Promotes Seat Belt Safety
Click on the image below to view a video about the Central Region's new rollover crash simulator. The driver of this vehicle was a sixteen-year-old girl from Osage County. She credits her seat belt for saving her from serious injury or death. The crash simulator can be used in parades and at civic or school functions to promote seat belt safety in the Central Region area. (YouTube link.)
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