Missouri DOT names Hood state highway safety and traffic engineer

Updated May 20, 2017

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has named 21-year agency veteran Nicole Hood as the state highway safety and traffic engineer, replacing the retiring Eiler Rackers.

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Hood began working at MoDOT in the Central Office as a transportation planner, and continued on with the agency in positions in planning, design and traffic. She has served as assistant state design engineer since 2014.

“In my new role, I’m excited to use my leadership skills and experience to continue to strengthen the department’s focus on safety for our citizens,” Hood says. “It takes each and every one of us to lead by example, focus on the road, buckle up and put our phones down.”

She added that seven out of 10 drivers use smartphones when driving. MoDOT reports 947 people were killed in crashes on Missouri roads last year, and human error is responsible for 94 percent of all traffic crashes.

“We have to work together with our safety partners to find ways to reverse this trend and drive toward zero deaths,” Hood adds.