“Saving lives is the focus of this effort,” said Leanna Depue, director of highway safety for MoDOT and chair of the executive committee for the coalition. “It’s very exciting to see so many people from various organizations and agencies come together to work toward a common goal.”
Motor vehicle crashes are a serious health, economic and social issue. More than 2,400 people were killed in traffic crashes over the past two years, and thousands of others were injured. To reduce the number of people killed and injured in traffic crashes, Missouri agencies through state and regional partnerships joined forces to create and implement Missouri’s Blueprint for Safer Roadways. Through this partnership effort, the coalition is working to meet the goal of 1,000 or fewer deaths on Missouri roadways by 2008.
Ten regional coalitions formed to enhance these efforts by addressing crash problems in specific geographic areas. Each regional coalition developed plans, submitted applications for funding and received funding through the statewide coalition. Regional safety coalitions are working in partnership with representatives from engineering, education, enforcement and emergency medical services to implement strategies and target local problems.
The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety was formed in April 2001 and is comprised of hundreds of safety partners including law enforcement, local/city planning, not-for-profit organizations, state agencies, civic groups, private businesses, and other safety advocates.
The Federal Highway Administration and the Roadway Safety Foundation present the bi-annual Roadway Safety Awards to programs and projects across the nation exhibiting excellence in roadway design, operations and planning.
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