St. Louis Car Accident Statistics

With more than 300,000 residents traveling to work, shop, and play, St. Louis, MO, has a lot of traffic. Adding to that, the city sits at the intersection of three major interstate highways that bring travelers and tourists to the area.

All of this traffic causes St. Louis car accident attorneys. St. Louis has a very high accident and fatality rate compared to the rest of the country. Understanding how and why accidents happen in St. Louis may help you avoid adding to these numbers.

Read on to learn some St. Louis car accident statistics and what you can do to get compensation for airbag injuries, seatbelt injuries, or any other type of injury you suffer because of someone elseโ€™s negligent driving. Contact our office today or call us at (314) 444-4444 to schedule a free initial consultation at Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers.

How Common Are St. Louis Car Accidents?

How Common Are St. Louis Car Accidents?

The Missouri Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) maintain a database with current and historical car accident statistics. These statistics come from crash reports filed by drivers and police officers after accidents in the state. All accident statistics in this overview come from the 2021 database.

Car accidents are surprisingly common in St. Louis. The city had 15,092 traffic accidents in 2021, according to the database. While this may not seem like a lot of accidents for a major metropolitan area, St. Louis only has about 300,000 residents. This means St. Louis had one accident per 20 residents โ€” a shockingly high number.

Sadly, this high accident rate also translates into a high fatality rate. St. Louis had 64 fatal crashes in 2021, according to DPS and MSHP. This gives St. Louis a fatality rate of 23.3 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents.

For comparison, the U.S. fatality rate is 11.7 deaths per 100,000 residents. St. Louisโ€™s death rate is nearly double the national rate, which means that car accident deaths are much more common in St. Louis than in the rest of the country.

Overview of St. Louis Car Accident Statistics

Statistics from Missouriโ€™s database provide a detailed picture of St. Louisโ€™s car accidents. These statistics can help you understand how and why accidents happen, whom they affect, and what injuries they cause.

How St. Louis Car Accidents Happen

Of the 15,042 accidents in St. Louis in 2021, 7,710 accidents involved only one vehicle. These accidents consisted of collisions with parked vehicles or stationary objects like guardrails, lamp posts, and buildings.

The remaining 7,332 accidents involved collisions with other road users, including:

This leaves 6,218 accidents where two or more passenger vehicles collided

What Causes St. Louis Car Accidents?

According to DPS and MSHP, the most common cause of car accidents in St. Louis is speeding. In 2021, exceeding the speed limit was blamed for 505 car accidents. And traveling too fast for road or weather conditions was cited as the cause of 1,077 car accidents. This means excessive speed caused 1,582 accidents in St. Louis in 2021.

The database lists distracted driving as the second-most common cause of St. Louis car accidents. In 2021, distracted driving caused 967 car accidents in St. Louis.

Types of Injuries in St. Louis Car Accidents

Missouri classifies traffic accident injuries into four categories:

  • A fatal injury causes a death
  • A disabling injury requires an ambulance to transport the accident victim
  • An evident injury causes a visible injury but doesnโ€™t require an ambulance
  • A non-apparent injury causes pain or other symptoms but no visible injury

According to DPS and MSHP, St. Louis car accidents in 2021 caused 437 disabling injuries, 1,298 evident injuries, and 2,691 non-apparent injuries.

Liability for St. Louis Car Accidents

Missouri uses a fault-based system of auto insurance. This means the at-fault driver in a car accident bears liability for the resulting damage. To seek compensation for car accident injuries, you must pursue the at-fault driver and their insurer.

Establishing liability requires evidence of negligence. Negligence means the at-fault driver acted without reasonable care, and that failure led to your injuries.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Our St. Louis Car Accident Lawyers

Pursuing a claim for injury compensation requires legal knowledge and experience negotiating with an insurer. The St. Louis car accident lawyers at Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers can negotiate a fair settlement or litigate against the driver and their insurer if a settlement is not possible. 

Contact us to schedule a free consultation to discuss your St. Louis car accident.


We handle all types of car accident claims, including:

Additional St. Louis Car Accident Resources

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