Male pickup truck drivers at higher risk of dying in car accident, MoDOT says

According to new data, men driving pickup trucks in Missouri don’t like wearing seat belts and in many cases it’s costing them their lives.

Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) reports that of the people killed in pickup accidents this year, 77% were male drivers and 83% of them were not buckled in.

This comes as Missouri is seeing a 12 percent increase in traffic fatalities over last year.

MoDOT traffic and safety engineer Nicole Hood tells KMOX 717 people have died on the state’s highways in 2020, that’s 76 more than at this time in 2019.

“There are more open roads right now so I think that is leading to those riskier driving habits and unfortunatley more fatalities,” Hood says.

Of the vehicle occupants killed in Missouri traffic crashes in 2020, 68% were unbuckled. Based on average survival rates, if everyone involved in these crashes had been buckled, more than 180 people who were killed would still be alive today.

As a result, the coalition and MoDOT are stepping up efforts to target messaging and educational resources to males and those driving pickup trucks.

If you or a loved one have suffered accident injuries in a car accident call Northland Injury Law at
(816) 400-4878 to speak to a Missouri automobile accident lawyer today for help in recovering the compensation you need. An experienced personal injury attorney can ease some of the burden by engaging in fact-finding, gathering the necessary documentation, and crafting concise and thorough demands for settlement of your claim.