For further information please contact: Capt. J. Tim Hull
Q12073 (573) 526-6115

December 18, 2007
EMPHASIS: Patrol Stresses Safety During New Year’s Holiday

The New Year’s holiday is a time to celebrate 2007 and welcome 2008. 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., Friday, December 28, 2007 to 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, January 1, 2008, all available officers will be on the roadways. Last year, 1,119 traffic crashes occurred in Missouri over the New Year’s holiday weekend. In those crashes eight people were killed and 454 were injured. That is one person killed or injured every 10.1 minutes.
“The Missouri State Highway Patrol has a goal of less than 1,000 traffic fatalities in 2008. We have the opportunity to meet this goal in 2007 as well,” said Colonel James F. Keathley, superintendent of the Patrol. “Motorists can expect to see more marked patrol vehicles on the roadways. More than 100 previously unmarked vehicles now have decals on the side to help increase visibility and further reduce traffic violations. We’re saving lives. Help Wanted.