MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL
A Division Of The
Department of Public Safety
Public Information and Education Division - PO Box 568 - Jefferson City, MO 65102
NEWS RELEASE
For further information please contact: Capt. J. Tim Hull
(573) 526-6115
Q12092
December 17, 2009
EMPHASIS: Missouri's Graduated Driver License Video Now Available For Viewing

Colonel James F. Keathley, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, invites the public to view a new video about Missouri's Graduated Driver License law. Produced by the Patrol's Training Division in conjunction with the Department of Revenue, this video is aimed at teenagers and their parents. It is available for schools to use on their in-house cable systems, driver's education courses, and through the Internet via the Missouri State Highway Patrol [www.mshp.dps.mo.gov], Missouri Department of Revenue [www.dor.mo.gov], and Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety [savemolives.com] web sites. In addition, the video may be viewed in the waiting room of Missouri's 20 busiest driver examination stations.

Alana M. Barragán-Scott, director of the Missouri Department of Revenue, congratulated the Patrol on its efforts to promote the graduated driver license law.
“The Department of Revenue is excited about adding this video to the Driver License section of our web site,” she said. “Young people who are about to become old enough to drive can watch the video with their parents or guardians and learn a lot about how the process works.”

"It is hoped this video will help explain the provisions of Missouri's Graduated Driver License law. I believe this law has helped to reduce the numbers of young drivers killed and injured in Missouri," said Colonel Keathley. "I want to thank the Missouri Department of Revenue for their assistance with the project, and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) for providing the grant monies needed to complete this project. This law, coupled with education and enforcement, can continue to save lives."

Traffic crashes continue to be the leading cause of death for teenagers in the state of Missouri. In 2008, there were 54 Missouri drivers ages 15-17 killed in traffic crashes. This same group was involved in 4,139 injury traffic crashes and 11,748 non-injury crashes that year. The numbers have dropped dramatically since 2002, when there were 104 drivers in that age group killed, 6,302 injury crashes, and 15,473 non-injury crashes. The Patrol attributes the decreases from 2002 to 2008 in part to the passage of Missouri's Graduated Driver License law.
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