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The Missouri State Highway Patrol will be out in force during the Labor Day holiday, it said.
The counting period begins 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29, through 11:59 p.m. Monday, Sept. 1.
The patrol offers these tips:
- The Labor Day holiday is a busy boating weekend. Before you take your boat on the water, inspect fuel lines and hose connections for leaks, and test the battery to confirm it is charged. When refueling, turn off any electrical devices which could create a spark. After refueling, open the engine compartment to visually inspect and smell for fuel leaks. Activate the blower system for at least four minutes before restarting the vessel.
- The highway patrol will participate in Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness and Reduction Effort) over the Labor Day holiday weekend. Speed, inattention and impaired driving are leading causes of traffic crashes, the patrol said. All available troopers will be patrolling Missouri’s roadways and waterways. Troopers on the roadways will be enforcing Missouri’s speed limit, seat belt and impaired driving laws, in addition to being available to assist motorists.
In 2024, there were four boating crashes, which included two fatalities and eight injuries. One person drowned during last year’s Labor Day holiday. Troopers arrested six people for boating while intoxicated during last year’s counting period.
In Missouri, 17 people died and 498 were injured in 1,047 traffic crashes over the 2024 Labor Day holiday. This means one person was killed or injured every 9.1 minutes. Troopers arrested 110 people for driving while intoxicated during last year’s holiday weekend.
The public is encouraged to call the Patrol’s Emergency Report Line 800-525-5555 or *55 on your cellular phone if they witness criminal activity or experience an emergency. These numbers are operational for both highway and water emergencies.