Missouri is on pace to surpass last year’s highway death total, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.

That’s an about-face from the prior two years, when road fatalities trended downward.

MoDOT Deputy Director and Chief Engineer Eric Schroeter said Wednesday that so far this year, 745 people have died on Missouri highways, which is over two a day.

“That's unacceptable for Missouri and for everybody here that's lost family members, that's lost team members, that's lost workers,” Schroeter said.

According to Schroeter, this time of year normally has an increase in road deaths, due to increased traffic during the holidays, more nighttime driving hours because of daylight saving time and other factors.

He urges Missouri drivers to buckle their seatbelt and not use de

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