JEFFERSON CITY – Twelve individuals and organizations were recognized at Missouri’s 2026 Highway Safety and Traffic Conference for their achievements in the field of roadway safety and their efforts in moving Missouri towards zero roadway fatalities. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety holds this conference each year to support Show-Me Zero, Missouri’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan. Every other year, recognition is presented through four statewide awards and one winner from each of the seven coalition regions across the state.
This year, Sgt. Justin Ewing and Cpl. Justin Howard with the Missouri State Highway Patrol were honored with the Beyond the Traffic Stop Award for their work with the Young Traffic Offenders Program. Through the program - part of The Research Foundation and its ThinkFirst chapter - Lt. Ewing and Cpl. Howard share their firsthand experiences in responding to serious crashes with high-risk young drivers, helping participants understand that every decision behind the wheel has real and lasting consequences. They also serve as dedicated partners of ThinkFirst of Greater Kansas City, presenting valuable education and prevention information at middle schools and high schools throughout the region.
The 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Mag Roberts with the Meramec Regional Planning Commission for her dedication to educating students and teen drivers through the production of docudramas. With each school she works with, Roberts develops a tailored program that has a real impact on students. Her tireless work over the past 27 years has helped lead students away from making careless decisions that can have a lifetime of consequences.
This year’s Road Safety Engineering Impact Award was presented to Marcie K. Meystrik with the East-West Gateway Council of Governments. As Director of Transportation Planning, Meystrik led the organization in the development of the “Gateway to Safer Roadways: St. Louis Regional Safety Action Plan” with the goal of eliminating all roadway fatalities and serious injuries in the East-West Gateway Region; with a 50% reduction by 2050. The plan serves as both a call to action and a blueprint for implementation and was developed with input from more than 50 stakeholder organizations.
The Tempe Humphrey Award - which recognizes an individual or group with focused efforts on younger drivers - was presented to DRIVEN2BSAFE, a youth-led initiative dedicated to educating fellow teenage drivers on making good choices and taking personal responsibility behind the wheel. Started by Jacob Corbett and Chloe Belen, DRIVEN2BSAFE operates through school outreach, community events and partnerships with safety organizations throughout the St. Louis region. The group facilitates conversations about seat belt use, distracted driving, impaired driving and speeding from the perspective of peer-to-peer connections.
In addition to the statewide awards, each coalition region recognizes an individual or group for their leadership and work to improve highway safety. To view the full list of award recipients and nominations - including all regional award winners - visit: 2026 Highway Safety and Traffic Awards.
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