Missouri State highway Patrol Capt. Bruce D. Fiske, commanding officer of Troop G in Willow Springs, has released midyear enforcement statistics.
During the first half of 2019, Fiske said, troopers in the region arrested 180 intoxicated drivers, an increase of 42 over the same period last year. Arrests in general were up by 716, with the largest increase seen in the number of warnings issued, which jumped by 1,467.
While enforcement numbers have increased, Troop G has experienced a decrease in fatality crashes this year, with 13 people being killed during the first half of 2019. Fiske said 20 people died in crashes in Troop G territory during the same period last year.
“We see a direct correlation between the amount of enforcement activity and the number of traffic crashes,” Fiske said.
Fiske urges drivers to obey all traffic laws and to be safe, responsible drivers.
“The only 100 percent survivable traffic crash is the one that never happens,” he said.