Missouri State Highway Patrol officers will be out in force for the long Labor Day weekend, reports Col. Eric Olson, the patrol’s leader.
He offers these tips:
•Remember to observe social distancing and other Centers for Disease Control guidelines, and stay home if ill.
•If plans include driving or boating, choose to be courteous and obey all Missouri laws. Use a seat belt when driving and wear a life jacket when on or near the water.
•Always pay attention, whether operating a vehicle or a vessel, and choose to be a sober driver on land and on the water.
MORE TROOPERS ON HIGHWAY
The patrol will be participating in Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness Reduction Effort) during the long holiday weekend. This means every available trooper will be on the road enforcing traffic laws and assisting motorists.
Motorists or boaters in need of assistance or who want to report a crime should use the highway patrol’s emergency assistance number 800-525-5555 or *55 on a cellular phone. For road condition reports, travelers can visit the patrol’s website at www.mshp.dps.mo.gov. Click on the “road conditions” icon to view road construction areas as well as road conditions throughout the state or call 888-275-6636.
During the 2019 Memorial Day holiday weekend, eight people died and 433 were injured in 1,009 traffic crashes. Last year, troopers made 96 DWI arrests. This year’s counting period for the holiday weekend begins at 6 p.m., Friday, May 22, and ends at 11:59 p.m., Monday, May 25. Troopers will focus their attention on seat belt use, use of child safety seats, impaired drivers, hazardous moving violations and speed violations.
Motorists are encouraged to do their part to make Missouri’s roadways safer. Speed, inattention, and impaired driving are leading causes of traffic crashes.