NEWS RELEASE

For further information please contact: Capt. J. Tim Hull
(573) 526-6115
Q6072
June 26, 2007
EMPHASIS: Have A Safe July Fourth Holiday

The Missouri State Highway Patrol would like to remind Missouri’s travelers of the importance of safety during the upcoming July Fourth holiday. If your holiday plans include traveling on Missouri highways, remember to buckle up, pay attention, and obey the speed limit. The fireworks and food will be there when you arrive; please make sure you do so safely. If your celebration includes 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.
Last year, 12 persons were killed and 840 injured in Missouri over the holiday in 1,669 traffic crashes. One person was killed or injured every 7.2 minutes. Troopers arrested 165 people for driving while intoxicated in 2006. Over the past five years, 74 people have been killed and 3,664 have been injured in traffic crashes on Missouri’s roadways over July Fourth holidays. The 2007 counting period for the July Fourth holiday will be from 6:00 p.m., Tuesday, July 3, to 11:59 p.m., Wednesday, July 4.
The Highway Patrol will be participating in Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) over the holiday. All available officers will be patrolling Missouri’s roadways enforcing Missouri’s speed limit, seat belt, and alcohol laws, in addition to being available to assist motorists. Motorists who need assistance or who witness criminal activity while traveling on Missouri’s roadways can contact the nearest Highway Patrol troop headquarters by calling the Patrol Emergency Report Line at 1 (800) 525-5555 or *55 on a cellular phone.
“July Fourth is a time to celebrate the freedoms we have in this great country,” said Colonel James F. Keathley, superintendent of the Highway Patrol. “If you’re driving to see friends or family, please think safety, obey all traffic laws, and pay attention to the traffic around you. One second of inattention is all it takes for a traffic crash to occur. If your celebration includes alcohol, don’t drive.”


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