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. John J. Hotz
Q1292015-1 (573) 526-6115

December 9, 2015
EMPHASIS: Have A Safe Holiday Season!

The Missouri State Highway Patrol wishes everyone a safe holiday season. One way for it to be merry is for everyone to arrive at their destination safely. Is safe, crash free travel part of your plans? If not, it should be! Check your vehicle before you travel to ensure that it is in good working condition. Make sure you are well rested before driving to your destination, no matter how short the distance. And, please, please obey all traffic laws and be a courteous driver.

Last year over the Christmas holiday, there were 1,159 traffic crashes during the 102-hour counting period. In those crashes, 14 people were killed and another 388 were injured. During the 2014 Christmas holiday, one person was killed or injured every 15 minutes. This year’s traffic crash counting period is 78 hours in length and begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday, December 24, and ends at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, December 27, 2015.

Remember: Holiday drivers will affect traffic patterns. Check the weather forecast and plan accordingly. The Road Condition Report number is 1-888-275-6636. Allow extra time to reach your destination, and obey all traffic laws.

If faced with a traffic emergency, motorists can contact the Missouri State Highway Patrol at 1-800-525-5555 or *55 on a cellular phone. This emergency number will ring into the nearest Highway Patrol headquarters. Motorists should use this number if they are in a traffic crash, witness a crash or crime, or observe a stranded motorist in need of assistance, or other traffic emergencies.

“This is a busy, festive time of year,” said Colonel J. Bret Johnson, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. “Family, friends, co-workers, and other groups will plan special events and gatherings. If you include alcohol in your celebrations, please don’t drive. A sober chauffer or other alternative transportation are always the best choices. Please wear your seat belt, obey Missouri's traffic laws, and drive courteously. Make safety an integral part of your plans this holiday season.”

Approximately 63 percent of Missouri fatal crash victims who are required to be restrained are NOT at the time of the traffic crash. The Patrol urges motorists to protect themselves and their passengers by making sure everyone in the vehicle is properly restrained in a seat belt or child restraint. Join us in supporting the Drive To Zero Highway Deaths. Watercraft operators should ensure that everyone in the vessel is wearing an approved life jacket. Click It 4 Life And Wear It!!

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