With support from General Motors, GHSA awarded the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT) a $100,000 grant in late 2024 to address distracted driving across the state.
With support from Cambridge Mobile Telematics and partners across Missouri, MODOT used cutting-edge telematics data to uncover where distracted driving posed the greatest risk. The StreetVision tool provided new insights into driver behavior, helping Missouri not only identify problem areas but also test how data can guide enforcement, awareness and infrastructure strategies.
Using the StreetVision tool, Missouri identified seven counties in southeast Missouri and seven counties in northern Missouri with higher-than-average phone use among drivers. In southeast Missouri, the data led directly to a high-visibility enforcement campaign over the July 4th holiday. Local law enforcement agencies participated, issuing citations and raising awareness during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
The StreetVision tool also allowed Missouri to study behaviors along I-70 work zones, particularly during traffic shifts and construction stages. Data showed that phone use and speeding decreased once work zones and speed limits were implemented, but rose again after traffic was shifted onto new median lanes. The project team also utilized the tool to highlight specific corridors in Columbia and Springfield where distracted driving was most prevalent.
While still preliminary, the findings demonstrated the potential of telematics for shaping how DOTs design and manage work zones, offering a real-time look at how drivers respond to changing conditions.
The grant also provided momentum for raising awareness of Missouri’s new Siddens-Bening Hands Free Law. Media coverage followed the grant award, including the Vision Zero Network news release Unlocking the Power of Telematics & Technology for Safe Streets and a CBS Evening News feature that highlighted the law and include an interview with Adrienne Siddens, widow of Randall Siddens, one of the law’s namesakes.
At the local level, the campaign generated visibility in the southeast region through enforcement campaigns, community outreach and social media. The project team plans to sustain awareness by working with schools, promoting MODOT’s Buckle Up Phone Down program and continuing targeted enforcement and media efforts in high-risk regions.
This project demonstrated how telematics can transform distracted driving prevention by:
Partners in the effort included Cambridge Mobile Telematics, the cities of Columbia and Springfield, AAA Missouri, Bucket Agency (media) and numerous law enforcement agencies.
Looking forward, Missouri will build on the insights gained—working with schools, enforcement and community leaders in the identified high-risk areas.
