HIGHWAY FATALITY RATES FALL

The nation's highway fatality rate this year is headed for a record low, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

In Missouri, highway safety officials say a similar downward trend in vehicular fatalities is occurring in most of the state, including Southeast Missouri.

The Transportation Department in Washington said last week that, as of April, the fatality rate had dropped to two deaths per 1 million miles traveled, and that, if the trend held, the figure for all of 1991 would be the best since such records were begun in 1921.

Last year's national traffic fatality rate was 2.1 deaths per 1 million miles traveled. Highway deaths last year in this country totaled 44,529.

In Missouri, the number of deaths per 1 million miles traveled in 1990 was 2.19. In Illinois, it was 1.90.

Dean Hollis, spokesman for the Missouri Highway Patrol's public affairs office in Jefferson City, said traffic fatalities in the state have fallen nearly 16 (15.8) percent between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30.

"During the first nine months of this year, 728 people were killed in traffic accidents. At the same time last year, 865 people (had) died in motor vehicle accidents," said Hollis, adding that there have been 137 fewer fatalities this year as compared with the same period last year.

In 1990, 1,088 people were killed in traffic accidents in Missouri. That compares with 1,052 killed in 1989, 1,103 in 1988, 1,058 in 1987, and 1,143 in 1986.

Since 1952, the greatest number of highway fatalities in a single year in Missouri was 1,528, in 1969. From 1981 to 1985, the number of highway deaths remained below 1,000, then rose to 1,143 in 1986. The lowest number of traffic fatalities in a single year since 1952 was 908, in 1982.

Hollis said traffic deaths through the end of September are down in all troop districts, except Troop G at Willow Springs, in the extreme southern part of the state. The fatality count there is up seven from last year at this time.

In Troop E, the number of fatalities for the first nine months of this year dropped by 14, from 68 in 1990 to 54 this year. In 1990, 95 people were killed in traffic accidents in Troop E, compared to 96 in 1989.

Authorities said the number of motor vehicle fatalities so far this year in Cape Girardeau County is also less than for the same period last year. Two people have been killed in traffic accidents in Cape County through Monday, compared to six in all of 1990.

The patrol said Butler County leads all other Troop E Southeast Missouri counties with nine traffic fatalities through the end of August.

So far this year, three people have died in traffic accidents in the city of Cape Girardeau, the same number killed in all of 1990.

Hollis said the decrease in the number of fatalities is mainly the result of stricter and more aggressive enforcement of drunk-driving and mandatory seat-belt-usage laws.

But Hollis warned that the positive trend could still be reversed. "We certainly do not want to become complacent," he cautioned. "We still have the months of October, November, and December left. There are major holiday weekends in November and December when a lot of people and vehicles will be traveling in more hours of darkness, and under less than ideal driving conditions."

Daylight-saving time, which has given motorists an extra hour of daylight during the past six months, will end at 2 a.m. CDT, Sunday, Oct. 27.

Hollis said 235 people were killed on Missouri highways during the final three months of last year.

"If everyone will remember to buckle up, don't drink and drive, and drive defensively, we can continue this favorable trend in highway fatalities through the end of the year," he said.