St. Louis is Missouri’s second-largest city, with more than 308,000 residents. However, St. Louis has the least amount of traffic congestion among America’s 20 largest metro areas.
While its lack of congestion helps reduce the number of accidents, St. Louis still has over 15,000 traffic crashes every year, many resulting in serious injuries or death. The following St. Louis car accident statistics offer insight into how and why accidents happen in the city.
If you have been involved in a car crash in St. Louis, MO, Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help you. We will help you hold the at-fault party accountable and seek the compensation you deserve. Call our law office at (314) 400-0000 for a free consultation with a St. Louis personal injury lawyer.
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How Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Car Accident in St. Louis
After a serious car accident, you have enough on your plate as you struggle to recover, pay your bills, and return to work and hobbies. You should not be worried about a lengthy battle with an uncaring insurance company only interested in reducing their liability.
You deserve a St. Louis car accident lawyer who will fight for your fair compensation. Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers will help you build a strong negligence claim, protect your rights, and guide you through every step of your case.
Principal and founding attorney E. Ryan Bradley has more than 20 years of legal experience, which began as an insurance defense attorney. He uses this insight into insurance tactics and decades of negotiation and courtroom experience to build the strongest case possible. A member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, he has recovered some of the state’s largest settlements and jury awards.
When you choose Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers to represent you in a St. Louis, Missouri car accident claim, you can count on us to:
- Offer the insightful legal advice and support you need throughout your case
- Perform a careful investigation into your crash to identify sources of compensation and gather evidence to prove causation
- Ensure all of your damages are fully and accurately valued
- Work with top experts for expert testimony that strengthens your negligence claim and proves the extent of your injuries
- Handle all administrative tasks, communications, and negotiations on your behalf
Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers is not afraid to take your case to court if the insurance company refuses to compensate you fairly. Contact our law office today for a free consultation with a St. Louis personal injury lawyer to discuss how we can help.
St. Louis Car Accident Statistics
In 2019, there were 15,818 traffic accidents in St. Louis, Missouri, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
These accidents included:
- 57 fatal crashes
- 4,189 crashes with injuries
- 11,572 crashes with only property damage
- 60 fatalities
- 6,677 people injured
While the majority of these accidents only involved property damage, thousands were injured or killed in St. Louis.
By comparison, Kansas City had 75 fatal crashes, over 8,700 injuries, and almost 20,500 total accidents.
The vast majority of car accidents in Missouri (over 39,000) occur in unincorporated and non-city areas. There were 433 fatal crashes in unincorporated areas of the state in 2019.
Car accidents are on the rise in St. Louis and the rest of Missouri. During the first 10 months of 2020 alone, St. Louis reported 73 fatal accidents, 22 of which involved pedestrians.
Statewide, Missouri Highway Patrol reported 929 traffic deaths in the first 10 months of 2020 compared to 819 in 2019.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been attributed to this dramatic increase in car accidents. The National Safety Council reported that despite fewer motorists on the road, those who were driving were driving faster and more recklessly.
Fatal Car Accidents in St. Louis, MO
In 2019, there were 57 fatal crashes in St. Louis that resulted in 60 fatalities.
Common factors in these fatal accidents included:
- Alcohol and/or drugs: 3 deaths
- Aggressive driving: 37 deaths
- Speeding: 28 deaths
- Pedestrian accidents: 16 deaths
Note that this figure does not add up to 60. Many crashes are attributed to more than one contributing factor like speeding and alcohol.
Drugged & Drunk Driving Accident Statistics in St. Louis
Fortunately, drunk and drugged driving is not as common in St. Louis as in many other large cities. In 2019, alcohol and/or drugs were involved in 112 of the city’s 15,818 accidents. Drugs or alcohol contributed to 3 fatalities and 100 injuries.
In unincorporated and non-city areas of Missouri, drugs and alcohol contributed to 137 fatalities and 1,361 injuries.
Missouri was once one of the worst states for fatal DUIs. From 2000 to 2017, the state’s drunk driving fatalities declined 42% from 432 to 254. Missouri now has the 14th highest number of DUI fatalities in the U.S.
In 2018, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that 16% of fatal crashes were alcohol-related.
Almost 29% of Missouri drivers in fatal crashes are repeating Dui offenders. With a BAC of 0.15 or higher, this rate increases to almost 79%.
Aggressive Driving in St. Louis
Of the 15,818 accidents in St. Louis in 2019, 6,320 were attributed to aggressive driving. This is one of the leading factors in all car accidents in St. Louis, and it’s more often a factor in fatal crashes than even speeding.
In 2019, aggressive driving was a factor in 1,984 injury accidents which caused 3,260 injuries. It was also to blame for 37 of the city’s 60 fatalities.
Aggressive driving refers to any combination of traffic offenses that endanger others. It can include weaving in and out of traffic, tailgating, running stop signs, or changing lanes abruptly without signaling.
Speeding & Car Accidents
Speeding is one of the leading factors in traffic accidents in St. Louis. In 2019, 28 of the 60 fatalities in the city were attributed to speeding as a primary factor.
There were 1,735 total speeding crashes in St. Louis. Of these crashes, 27 were fatal, 636 crashes caused 1,117 injuries, and 1,078 involved only property damage.
Distracted Driving Accidents in St. Louis
As in other states, distracted driving is a serious and growing problem in St. Louis and the rest of Missouri.
Distracted driving contributes to about 14% of crashes in Missouri. This is a distracted driving crash rate of 13 per 1,000 residents. This rate skyrockets to 43 distracted driving accidents per 1,000 residents among young drivers 21 and under.
In 2017, cell phones were responsible for 12% of all distracted driving accidents in the state. Other common distractions include external distractions (20%), passengers (6%), radio (4%) and eating or drinking (3.5%).
St. Louis County ranked 6th among Missouri counties for distracted driving. The county’s distracted driving crash rate was 18.6 per 1,000 residents and almost 53/1,000 residents for drivers 21 and under.
Missouri is one of just two states that does not ban texting and driving for all motorists. RSMo Section 304.820 only bans texting messaging and cell phone use for young drivers 21 and under. Commercial drivers are also barred from using a cell phone while driving.
Cell phone-related accidents in Missouri increased 30% between 2014 and 2019. About 70% of Missouri drivers using a cell phone are 22 or older.
Commercial Vehicle Accident Statistics in St. Louis, Missouri
Accidents involving commercial vehicles are often the most serious. When a passenger vehicle collides with a large truck, passenger vehicle occupants are more likely to suffer serious injuries and death.
In 2019, there were 1,616 accidents involving commercial vehicles. These accidents caused 9 fatalities and 566 injuries.
This is a very similar number of commercial vehicle accidents, deaths, and injuries as Kansas City despite its larger population. Kansas City is a major trucking hub that contributes to a large number of commercial vehicles on the road.
St. Louis Pedestrian Accident Statistics
Pedestrians are the most vulnerable in a traffic accident. Most car accidents in St. Louis involving a pedestrian cause injury or death.
In 2019, there were 376 pedestrian accidents in St. Louis that caused 16 fatalities and 334 injuries. Only 26 of these accidents were property damage only.
St. Louis Motorcycle Accident Statistics
Motorcycle accidents are more likely to be single-vehicle crashes than car accidents. However, motorcycle-passenger vehicle crashes are also common. Many motorcycle accidents occur due to factors like rider inexperience and difficulty controlling the motorcycle and motorists failing to see a motorcycle.
There were 124 motorcycle accidents in St. Louis in 2019. These accidents led to 9 deaths and 110 injuries.
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Contact a St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you have been involved in a car crash and believe someone else’s negligence contributed, you may be entitled to fair compensation. Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers is here to fight for the full compensation you deserve for your damages. Contact our law office today for a free consultation with a St. Louis car accident lawyer who is ready to help you.
