ROAD SAFETY ANALYSIS
Missouri Road Safety Analysis
Behavioral Insights Powered by StreetVision
The following road safety report evaluates road risk events in Missouri from January 2026 through March 2026. It examines phone distraction rates, intersection-level hard braking activity, and corridor-level speeding patterns to determine where risk is most concentrated.
The report leverages insights from CMT’s StreetVision, an AI-powered behavioral analytics platform that provides decision-ready insights into roadway risk before crashes occur. Transportation officials use StreetVision to identify hotspots, prioritize high-impact safety interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of countermeasures.
Here is a snapshot of our findings — covering distraction benchmarking, county-level concentration analysis, high-risk intersection identification, and corridor speeding patterns.
01 PHONE DISTRACTION
Monthly distraction rates: A comparison to the national benchmark
In January 2026, drivers in Missouri recorded 22.02 phone tapping events per 100 miles, compared to the national average of 23.55, placing the state 6.5% below the US benchmark.
In February, the rate was 22.44, a 1.9% increase from the prior month, and 6.7% below the national average.
By March, phone tapping events decreased to 22.15 events per 100 miles, marking a 1.3% decrease from February. It was 6.8% below the US average.
phone tapping events per 100 miles
02 COUNTY ANALYSIS
County-level insights reveal concentrated rates of distracted driving
Across the three-month period, Missouri averaged 22.20 phone tapping events per 100 miles, though county-level data shows wide variation around that benchmark.
The most distracted counties, led by Dunklin, St. Louis, and Grundy, recorded distraction rates roughly 29% – 44% above the state average, highlighting concentrated pockets of elevated risk.
In contrast, the least distracted counties, led by Reynolds, Montgomery, and St. Clair, reported rates roughly 27% – 38% below the statewide average, underscoring a clear regional divide in driver behavior.
phone tapping events per 100 miles
Highest Distraction
Dunklin County
31.9
+43.7%St. Louis County
30.4
+36.9%Grundy County
28.7
+29.3%Carroll County
28.3
+27.5%Nodaway County
27.0
+21.6%Lowest Distraction
Reynolds County
13.7
-38.3%Montgomery County
15.2
-31.5%St. Clair County
16.2
-27.0%Harrison County
16.2
-27.0%Callaway County
16.4
-26.1%
03 HARD BRAKING
High risk intersections: Where hard braking signals elevated crash risk
Intersections account for roughly 25% of all US traffic deaths and 50% of all traffic injuries. Hard braking often signals near-miss events, making it a leading indicator of elevated crash risk.
An analysis of St. Louis County intersections found I-70 & Shreve Avenue to be a high-risk hotspot, with 382.8 hard braking events per 100 miles driven.
highest risk
I-70 & Shreve Avenue
382.8
hard braking events / 100 mi
other high risk intersections in Missouri
Hard Braking Events per 100 miles
Locations with persistently high hard braking activity are widely recognized as candidates for proactive intervention — where targeted engineering improvements, enforcement visibility, or behavioral countermeasures may reduce crash risk before crashes occur.
04 SPEEDING PATTERNS
When & Where Speeding Risk Peaks
Speeding behavior in Missouri follows identifiable time-of-day and corridor-level patterns, creating predictable windows of elevated risk.
On I-29 in Atchison County, MO (70 mph), speeding peaks on Sunday at 2:00 a.m., when 25.5% of driving time exceeds 10 mph over the limit. Additional elevated speeding periods include Sunday at 3:00 p.m. and Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
CORRIDOR ANALYSIS
I-29
Posted speed limit: 70 mph
Sunday: 2:00 a.m.
25.5%
of driving time exceeds the posted speed limit
Sunday: 3:00 p.m.
15.5%
of driving time exceeds the posted speed limit
These patterns provide actionable intelligence for speed studies, high-visibility enforcement, public awareness campaigns, and resource allocation decisions.
05 SCHOOL ZONES
How fast are drivers going in school zones?
We analyzed speed distribution in the school zone at Wild Horse Elementary School on 16695 Wild Horse Creek Rd in Chesterfield, MO. Our analysis found that 72.0% of drivers exceed the 35 mph speed limit between 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday at 1:00 p.m. had the highest rate of speeding, with 84.0% of drivers going over the limit.
Understanding how frequently speeding occurs during school hours helps traffic engineers determine whether stronger safety measures are needed to better protect vulnerable road users.
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