KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Deadly crashes are on the rise in Kansas City. Police want you to know so you can make better decisions before getting behind the wheel.
It's only September, and already 74 people have been killed in car wrecks in Kansas City. In all of 2016, there were 68 people killed.
Police said they hope awareness will help curb this deadly trend.
The number of pedestrians struck and killed by cars is also on the rise.
There have been 13 people walking in KC who were hit and killed by cars. Last year there were 12 people killed.
Police said the biggest reason for these spikes is impairment.
"If people knew how much impaired driving was going on out there they might be scared to even get in their cars," said Sgt. Bill Mahoney.
Other causes for deadly wrecks include speeding, not wearing seatbelts, and using your phone.
"It's hard to get the evidence," said Mahoney, referring to texting and driving and its role in causing deadly crashes. "We've seen it a couple of times. We suspect it more times, but the one we know about and we can prove is impairment."
Police believe about half of deadly wrecks are caused by impairment. This year alone they know 18 fatal crashes were caused by drugs or alcohol.
Sixteen other cases are being tested at the lab. Of those, drugs and alcohol are expected in 11 of them.
Police said Highway 169 near the Buck O'Neil Bridge is a more concentrated area for pedestrian deaths. It's near a homeless camp and a rail yard.
It is unusual for people to be crossing on the interstate, but some more transient people may cross it or hitchhike in the area.
Motorcycle deaths are also on the rise this year. There have been 12 this year so far, and there were eight last year. Police attribute this to warmer weather.
