AP: Missouri recorded more than 1,000 traffic deaths in 2021

For the first time since 2006, more than 1,000 people died in traffic crashes last year in Missouri, the state transportation department said.

Preliminary data showed 1,004 people were killed in crashes last year, a 2% increase over 2020 and the second consecutive year fatalities increased after more than a decade of declining, the Missouri Department of Transportation said in a news release.

Lack of seat belts, cell phone use while driving and speeding were significant factors in the deaths, the department said. The full story can be read on the Associated Press (AP) website.