Troopers with the Missouri State Highway Patrol will be out in force for the upcoming Labor Day weekend.
The patrol will participate in Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness and Reduction Effort) over the Labor Day holiday weekend. The 2026 counting period starts at 6 p.m., Friday, and ends at 11:59 p.m. Monday, Sept. 7. 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.
Due to ongoing road construction throughout the state (including in Texas County), the patrol suggests that travelers use the MoDOT Traveler Information Map to plan their travel days. The map provides up-to-date information such as road closures, delays, construction zones, and alternative routes. (https://traveler.modot.org/map/index.html)
Users can download the app for free on phone platforms.
Drivers and boat operators are reminded to follow all of Missouri’s laws and to be courteous. Always wear a seat belt when traveling in a vehicle, and wear a life jacket when near, on, or in the water.
In 2025, there were nine boating crashes which included six injuries and zero fatalities. One person drowned during last year’s Labor Day holiday. Troopers arrested nine people for boating while intoxicated during last year’s counting period.
In Missouri, six people died and 423 were injured in 931 traffic crashes over the 2025 Labor Day holiday. Troopers arrested 104 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 emergency numbers are operational for both highway and water emergencies.
