A rise in speeding and other reckless driving behaviors continues to be a disturbing trend in 2021. According to MoDOT Highway Safety and Traffic, during the first half of the year, more than 450 people lost their lives in a crash on Missouri roadways. The primary causes are: excessive speeds, distraction, impairment, and choosing to not wear a seat belt or motorcycle helmet. So far during 2021, Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers have issued more than 16,000 citations to drivers traveling 20 miles per hour or more over the posted speed limit, a 9% increase from the same time period in 2020. Following the August 2020 repeal of the all-rider helmet law, motorcyclist fatalities are up 33% and the number of unhelmeted riders killed in crashes increased from two in the first six months of 2020 to 31 so far in 2021. Highway officials say as we near the halfway point of the “100 Deadliest Days”, those days between Memorial Day and Labor Day when traffic fatalities are most prevalent, it’s imperative to be mindful of safety every time you use the roadways.