The second-largest city of Missouri, St. Louis, sits close to the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. For locals and visitors alike, it is a vibrant city with loads to offer in terms of entertainment, cuisine, and culture.
As of 2024, St. Louis’ population stands at 277,315 residents. Besides housing the famous Gateway Arch, this city is a huge logistics hub. This means St. Louis’ roads and intersections are familiar with heavy traffic (especially involving 18-wheelers).
A downside of this is the frequent occurrences of road accidents. The situation has come to a point where city officials are concerned about their citizens’ road safety. In this article, we will discuss St. Louis’ road safety problem in detail, outlining the possible causes behind accidents and pedestrian deaths.
Ranked As the Least Safe City in the US
In 2023, St. Louis received a negative title – the least safe city in the US. A WalletHub study ranked the city as such due to three main reasons. These included an increasing number of road accidents, high crime rates, and recurring natural disasters.
While some people agree with these factors, others simply believe that the study accounted for St. Louis County as a whole and not just the city. Whatever the case may be, St. Louis indeed needs to tighten its road safety measures.
City Leaders Concerned Over Reckless Drivers
A recent incident that occurred this Valentine’s Day has left St. Louis officials and drivers concerned. A 42-year-old woman, Laticha Bracero, and her 21-year-old daughter, Alyssa Cordova, were walking back after a Drake concert at the Enterprise Center. They were originally residents of Chicago.
The duo was struck dead by a speeding driver at the intersection of Olive Street and North 18th Street in downtown St. Louis. This is just one example of driver recklessness. From the Mayor to the Board of Aldermen, everyone has raised concerns regarding out-of-control drivers.
Residents have often complained of utter disregard for traffic rules and road signage. In 2023, 51 deadly crashes occurred in the city of St. Louis. Though these numbers are low when compared to the previous years, the aforementioned recklessness is rampant. If the same continues, it’s only a matter of time before road accident fatalities shoot up.
Other Accident-Contributing Factors
Does driver negligence and defying traffic rules lead to St. Louis road accidents? Yes, but that alone is not the problem. It may be tempting to shift the blame entirely on reckless drivers, but the city has more than a few dangerous roads.
Two roads that residents are particularly concerned about are the South Grand and Forest Park Parkway. A university student, Russell Hooker, said regarding these thoroughfares that they are extremely busy. This becomes very confusing for the driver (mainly at night) due to a million flickering lights.
Some of these intersections are not properly organized into lanes or have inadequate road signage. As a result, even pedestrians have no clear idea of where to move for safety. Let’s not forget that St. Louis’ roads see heavy traffic from huge commercial trucks and trailers.
Reckless drivers are often prone to paying no heed to blind spots and may attempt to overtake these larger vehicles. This makes a crash or rollover accident almost inevitable.
Gruesome Aftermath: Injuries and Legal Battle
Since overspeeding is among the most common driver-related accident causes, it is no surprise that most crashes leave multiple fatalities or debilitating injuries. Some of these injuries include paraplegia, broken bones, cuts and lacerations, brain trauma, etc.
The aftermath is the most serious in cases of truck accidents due to the size of the vehicle and the impact. Besides the injuries, TorHoerman Law states that victims need to bear heavy expenses and fight for legal justice. In most cases, the insurer is not willing to offer fair compensation.
A St. Louis truck accident attorney will be needed for case assessment and a fair legal battle. They will go through the details of the insurance policy and make a thorough assessment of the victim’s damages. Finally, negotiations will be made to secure fair settlements.
The plaintiff’s attorney aims to prevent the case from going to trial as that would waste more time and money. However, the same will become the last resort.
In the final analysis, an accident is a risk and hassle no St. Louis resident is willing to deal with. Many are relocating to other parts of the country for safety and peace of mind. Meanwhile, city officials are working towards stricter road safety laws and regulations.
In 2023, the city’s Mayor, Tishaura O. Jones, signed the ‘Safer Streets Bill’ to redesign the streets for pedestrian safety. At least $40 million was set aside to implement this Bill.
After 2020, 2022 was the second-deadliest year for St. Louis motorists and pedestrians. Around 78 people lost their lives in a crash. Tighter law enforcement measures coupled with greater education about existing driving laws should offer St. Louis residents some respite.
Related Articles:
Understanding the Trends in California Car Crashes with Road Safety Radar
