Deadly crashes on the rise in Missouri - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff

Deadly crashes on the rise in Missouri

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Trooper Parrott says two out of three drivers don't buckle up in MO crashes. Trooper Parrott says two out of three drivers don't buckle up in MO crashes.
Last year 120 people died in crashes involving a big rig. Last year 120 people died in crashes involving a big rig.
CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) -

The number of deadly crashes on Missouri roads is on the rise. And troopers say it's because people are choosing not to buckle up.

According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, there is a 22% increase in deadly crashes this year alone.

On Thursday afternoon at a Cape Girardeau business, troopers demonstrated what a roll-over crash looks like and to emphasize the importance of buckling up before heading down the road.

Two-thirds of our fatalities this year have been unrestrained, either drivers or passengers or a combination of both in the vehicles," says Trooper Clark Parrott. "Two out of three of our traffic accidents are because people aren't wearing their seatbelts."

Also at today's event, troopers showed drivers of 18-wheelers what they are looking for during road side inspections. 

An effort to keep everyone on the road safe, earlier this week we told you about the increase of crashes involving tractor-trailers.

Last year 120 people died in crashes involving a big rig. That's up 15 compared to crashes in 2010.

Troopers say before 2012, fatal accidents were on a 5 year decline. And, the number one accident is when a vehicle's tire is off the road and the driver ends up overcorrecting. This leads to rollover and people flying out of car, troopers say.