NEWS RELEASE

For further information please contact: Capt. J. Tim Hull
Q12086 (573) 526-6115

December 22, 2008
EMPHASIS: Bring In The New Year Safely!

The New Year’s holiday is a time to celebrate 2008 and welcome 2009. The Missouri State Highway Patrol encourages everyone to include safety in their holiday preparations. If the weather is bad, allow extra time for traveling or be flexible with your plans. Staying home might be safer. If you do plan to drive to a New Year’s gathering, remember to buckle up and obey all traffic laws.
Also, if your plans include alcohol, choose a designated driver. Getting arrested could be the least of your concerns. There are court costs, medical bills, or perhaps jail time. If you kill or injure someone, you’ll pay a price for the rest of your life. The highway is no place for a driver who has been drinking.
During the New Year’s traffic crash counting period from 6 p.m., Wednesday, December 31, 2008 to 11:59 p.m. Sunday, January 4, 2009, all available officers will be on the roadways. Last year, 1,195 traffic crashes occurred in Missouri over the New Year’s holiday weekend. In those crashes 10 people were killed and 439 were injured. That is one person killed or injured every 13.6 minutes.
“The Missouri State Highway Patrol encourages everyone to keep safety in mind while bringing in the new year,” said Colonel James F. Keathley, superintendent of the Patrol.


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