Col. Sandra K. Karsten, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, urges motorists to pay attention as they travel over the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday weekend. “Distracted drivers are …
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Col. Sandra K. Karsten, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, urges motorists to pay attention as they travel over the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
“Distracted drivers are dangerous drivers,” said Karsten. “We need every driver to pay attention every mile of their trip. That means obeying all traffic signs, driving sober, and putting down your cellphone in order to have a safe Thanksgiving holiday.”
The counting period for the 2017 Thanksgiving holiday weekend is from 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 22, until 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26.
During the 2016 Thanksgiving holiday weekend, 14 people were killed and another 553 were injured in 1,426 traffic crashes. That means one person was killed or injured in a traffic crash every 10.8 minutes in Missouri over last year’s Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
People should make sure their car is in good condition before beginning your trip. It’s also important to be well rested before driving and to buckle up — seat belts save lives, the Patrol said.
The Patrol will participate in Operation C.A.R.E (Crash Awareness & Reduction Effort) during this Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
As part of this operation, all available troopers will be assigned to Missouri’s roadways to enforce traffic laws, especially those related to impaired driving, driving over the speed limit, and seat belt/child restraint use.
Troopers also will be available to assist motorists as needed.
Over the past several years, the Patrol has used special traffic enforcement projects to further their efforts to decrease traffic crashes and fatalities. This Thanksgiving weekend will include 20-Mile Trooper enforcement projects on Nov. 22 and Nov. 26.
Troopers will be assigned at 20-mile intervals along Interstates 29, 44, 55, and 70, as well as U.S. Highways 60 and 63.
The Highway Patrol’s Emergency Assistance number is 1-800-525-5555 (or *55 on a cellular phone).
Motorists should use this emergency assistance number to report traffic crashes, crimes being committed or other emergencies on Missouri’s highways. When you dial this number anywhere in the state, it rings directly into the closest Patrol headquarters.
Driving
