AASHTO Journal - Several State DOTs Spotlight Traffic Safety Improvements

Missouri, Maryland, and Connecticut recently outlined significant declines in traffic fatalities – though other states noted that similar declines changed direction due to warmer weather in the early months of the 2025-2026 winter season.

[Above photo by MoDOT]

Governor Mike Kehoe (R) recently joined the Missouri Department of Transportation, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and other safety partners to highlight a now three year decline in traffic fatalities – marking a significant milestone in the state’s ongoing effort to improve roadway safety.

Preliminary figures show there were 911 fatalities on Missouri roadways in 2025, down from 955 the previous year – a 5 percent decrease. Compared to three years ago, Missouri has achieved a 14 percent reduction in roadway deaths – marking the first time the state has seen a three-year decline since 2019.

“There were times last year [2025] when our roadway fatality numbers were trending in the wrong direction, [when] we weren’t seeing the kind of progress we need,” explained Ed Hassinger, MoDOT director, in a statement.

“But thanks to the hard work of our partners and Missouri drivers who are making safer choices, we were able to turn things around,” he said. “That kind of change doesn’t happen by chance – it happens because speaking up about safety works. Every driver can make a difference by choosing to drive responsibly and encouraging others to do the same. Our ultimate goal is zero fatalities, and it’s going to take all of us to get there.”

Concurrently, MoDOT and its partners launched an updated Show-Me Zero plan, a statewide roadmap for reducing traffic fatalities through education, enforcement, engineering, and emergency response.

“While 2025 continued a positive trend in Missouri, we can’t stop now,” noted Jon Nelson, MoDOT’s state highway safety and traffic engineer, about the updated plan. “To keep moving forward, we need every community, every school, every business, and every family to join us in following the strategies in our updated Show-Me Zero plan. Together, we can push Missouri closer to our goal of zero roadway deaths.”

[Editor’s note: A recent study by Cambridge Mobile Telematics found that Ohio drivers are now less distracted behind the wheel when compared to the nationwide average; due in part to a distracted driving law passed in 2023 that makes it illegal to use or hold a cell phone or electronic device in one’s hands, lap, or other parts of the body while driving on Ohio roads.]

In Maryland, Governor Wes Moore (D) said his state’s traffic fatalities fell by approximately 18 percent statewide in 2025, according to preliminary data. Motor vehicle crash deaths declined from 582 in 2024 to 480 in 2025, marking the first time fatalities have fallen below 500 since 2014.

“There is no greater priority than protecting our people. This requires strengthening enforcement, investing in infrastructure, and ensuring our streets are safer for everyone who uses them,” said Gov. Moore in a statement. “The decline we’re seeing in motor vehicle fatalities shows that when we act with urgency and data-driven strategies, we can save lives – and we will not let up because every Marylander should be able to move safely through our communities.”

The Maryland Department of Transportation noted that the largest fatality reductions occurred among vulnerable road users, with pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities dropping 33 percent, from 173 in 2024 to 116 in 2025.

“While we celebrate this great accomplishment, there is still more work to be done to protect lives and further bend the curve on the number of deadly crashes and serious injuries,” said Katie Thomson, acting Maryland DOT secretary. “All of us, including those behind the wheel to those walking across the street, share a responsibility in keeping Maryland’s roads safe. I encourage everyone to keep making safe choices, pay attention, slow down and drive sober.”

Meanwhile, the Connecticut Department of Transportation noted that traffic fatalities statewide fell 12 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, with preliminary data indicating the state suffered 274 roadway deaths in 2025, down from 312 in 2024.

However, while the overall number of traffic fatalities declined, CTDOT’s data indicated “troubling trends” for vulnerable road users, with bicycle fatalities increasing 67 percent and pedestrian deaths rising 6 percent compared with the five-year average.

“While we are encouraged by the reduction in fatalities, even one death on our roadways is too many,” said noted Garrett Eucalitto, CTDOT commissioner and past president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, in a statement. “We remain focused on improving safety for everyone who uses Connecticut roads.”

Other states noted that weather conditions unfortunately affected the downward trajectory of traffic fatalities.

For example, in Colorado – following two years of declines – witnessed an increase in traffic fatalities overall in 2025, with preliminary data issued by the Colorado Department of Transportation indicating 701 people were killed on Colorado roadways in 2025, up from 689 in 2024.

While the increase is small, the agency said that signals driving behaviors may be trending in the wrong direction – particularly when it comes to impaired driving and protecting vulnerable roadway users like pedestrians and bicyclists.

Until the unseasonably warm months of November and December, traffic deaths were on track for a 7 percent decline in 2025. However, Colorado DOT said that mild temperatures brought more people out onto the roads, which coincided with fatalities spiking near record levels. During those final two months of 2025, traffic deaths jumped 70 percent compared to the same period in 2024.

“Every one of the 701 deaths last year represents a member of our community. Each number is a mother, father, son, daughter or friend who didn’t make it home,” said Shoshana Lew, executive director of the Colorado DOT, in a statement. “We can all do more to prevent these crashes. Let’s redouble our efforts to help each other get home safely.”