COLUMBIA – Eleven individuals and organizations were recognized at this year’s Highway Safety and Traffic Conference for their efforts in moving Missouri towards zero roadway fatalities. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety holds the event each year to support Show-Me Zero, Missouri’s strategic highway safety plan. The awards are given to four statewide individuals or businesses and one winner from each of seven regions across the state.
This year, the AAA Automobile Club of Missouri was recognized as the Buckle Up Phone Down Champion for the instrumental role it’s played over the past two years in expanding the reach of Missouri’s BUPD movement.
The Highway Opportunities through Professional Engineering (HOPE) Award was presented to Greg Chapman for his development of the Work Zone Crash Reporting Form for the Missouri Department of Transportation. This form improves and standardizes the process of reporting crashes in MoDOT work zones. Chapman is the district administrative officer for MoDOT’s Southwest District.
The Lay Down the Law Award recognizes law enforcement officers or groups advancing highway safety through innovative traffic safety efforts. This year, the award was presented to the Kansas City Police Department’s DUI Unit, a unique seven-person squad fully dedicated to impaired driving enforcement. The unit made 1,271 impaired driving arrests in 2021, the most for any police agency in the state of Missouri.
The Tempe Humphrey Award, which recognizes an individual or group with focused efforts on younger drivers, was presented to Chad Burton. Burton believes that zero is the only acceptable number of roadway deaths, and he shares this message throughout the state as a ThinkFirst Speaker, giving presentations to organizations, schools, and the Traffic Offender Program.
In addition to the statewide awards, each region of the Coalition recognizes an individual or group for their leadership and work to improve highway safety. For the Southeast Missouri Region, Steve Hoernig, a retired MoDOT employee, was recognized for his 29 years of service and his dedication to saving lives by implementing many engineering safety measures on the roadway.
To view a full list of award recipients, visit: 2022 Highway Safety and Traffic Awards | Missouri Department of Transportation (savemolives.com). |