Saving lives on Missouri highways – that’s the objective of the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety, a collaboration of federal, state and local agencies and organizations. For the third year in a row, the coalition has dedicated funds to that purpose, and fatalities are currently down 18 percent as of June 26.

In 2004 the coalition created the Blueprint for Safer Roadways, a document that outlines strategies to reduce fatal and serious injuries that are often the result of traffic crashes. The 10 regional coalitions were established to implement the effort, with MoDOT playing an important role on the state and regional level.

“We continue to focus on reaching our goal of 1,000 or fewer fatalities by 2008,” said Leanna Depue, Highway Safety director and executive director of the coalition. “As we begin this next fiscal year, we look forward to working with our regions and partners on new and proven ways to make a difference and save lives.”

Statewide activities planned for the upcoming year include:

• A continued focus on seat belt use, especially young drivers through the Never Made It campaign.
• Online advertising opportunities, particularly to reach young drivers.
• An added emphasis on the dangers of impaired driving, particularly during the holiday season.
• Additional partnerships with law enforcement, specifically for impaired driving, safety belt use, speeding and aggressive driving.
• Education regarding child passenger safety laws.
• Educational videos.

“We already have made such great progress with many successful activities and campaigns, but I know our efforts will continue to grow,” Depue said. “The ultimate goal is to see everyone Arrive Alive.”

For more information on the many coalition programs and efforts, visit www.saveMOlives.com.