Missouri has the worst traffic laws in the US, new report says. What needs to change?
From January through November 2024, 845 people were killed in Missouri crashes, according to the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety. Jackson County had 110 deaths, the most in the state.
In 2024 so far, the Kansas City area has lost to traffic crashes a UMKC Conservatory student, a former downtown bartender, a grandmother and two teenagers on their way to a Billie Eilish concert.
One advocacy organization says Missouri’s traffic laws need to change to prevent such deaths. Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety said in its 2025 report released Thursday, Dec. 5, that Missouri has the most dangerous traffic laws in the nation.
The lobbying organization looked at whether states had 18 different highway laws that President Cathy Chase said “have been proven to reduce crashes, save lives and reduce injuries.” These included restrictions on new drivers, car seat requirements for children and seat belt, and helmet laws.
Missouri was considered dangerous because it has only one of the 18 laws on the books. And that single law — allowing red light cameras — was deemed invalid by the state Supreme Court. This means since 2015, red light cameras have only been operational in one town: Hannibal, Missouri.
The Star reached out to two Missouri senators on the Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee to ask if they had plans to make traffic laws stricter, and did not hear back.
Joining Missouri at the bottom of the ranking were Idaho, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming. Kansas received a yellow “Caution” rating for implementing four out of 18 suggested laws.
What could Missouri do to prevent traffic deaths?
The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, funded in part by insurance companies, also lobbies for increases in highway infrastructure safety funding and regulation of new car safety technologies.
While changing driver behavior through stricter traffic laws is one part of keeping motorists safe, infrastructure techniques also have a large role in making crashes less severe.
The Federal Highway Administration suggests narrowing roads, using speed bumps and increasing visibility to make human errors less catastrophic. In June, Kansas City officials promised $4 million to traffic calming efforts around the city.
While having a strict state law doesn’t necessarily mean drivers will change their behavior, Chase said that having traffic safety legislation on the books is the beginning to making Missouri’s roads safer.
“Step one is to get a good law on the books. And then after that, to make sure that there are trained law enforcement officers…to enforce the traffic safety laws,” Chase said.
Missouri was previously named the second riskiest for drivers in the nation, according to financial website Forbes Advisor.
What traffic laws is Missouri missing?
These are the laws that Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety recommends all states implement:
Allow officers to pull drivers over for front seat occupants not wearing a seat belt
Allow officers to pull drivers over for rear seat occupants not wearing a seat belt
Require helmets for all motorcycle riders
Require rear facing car seats through age 2 or older
Require booster seats
Prohibit children under 13 from riding in the front seat
Set minimum driving ages of 16 for a learner’s permit and 17 for an unrestricted license
Require beginning teen drivers to complete at least 70 hours of supervised driving with an adult
Restricting unsupervised driving after 8 p.m. for beginning drivers
Prohibit non-familial teen passengers from riding with a teen driver without adult supervision
Require ignition interlock devices in the vehicles of all convicted drunk driving offenders
Restrict open containers in vehicles
Restrict text messaging for all drivers
Restrict cell phone and hand-free device use for beginner drivers
Permit red light cameras by law
Permit automated speed enforcement by law
Use automated speed enforcement
Use automated red light enforcement
Have questions about Missouri traffic laws? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
