MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL
a division of the
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

TROOP C HEADQUARTERS
891 Technology Drive
Weldon Spring, MO 63304



NEWS RELEASE

For further information please contact: Corporal Juston Wheetley
(636) 300-2800 ext. 3334
C2014-012
May 13, 2014

EMPHASIS: The Reality Of 500 Fewer Fatalities


Fatalities are final ... irreversible ... forever. Over the past several years, Missouri has experienced a decrease in traffic fatalities. In 2006, 1,257 people died in traffic crashes, where in 2013, 757 people died in traffic crashes. A simple math problem shows us there is a difference of 500 deaths between those two years ... or, more to the point: 500 people are alive today who wouldn’t have been in 2006. That’s the equivalent of the entire town of Irondale, MO.

So far, we have seen a nine percent increase in fatalities in 2014. The Missouri State Highway Patrol is asking every driver to make a conscious decision to help lower that number by being safe drivers. Driving is a full-time activity requiring you to make smart decisions. Please do not speed, pay attention while you're driving, don't drink and drive, and make sure you and everyone in your vehicle are wearing a seat belt. Make the effort to follow traffic laws or if necessary, refresh yourself as to what they are.

Traffic crashes are not accidents; they are the result of human error and can be prevented. The Missouri State Highway Patrol is doing its part to make our roadways safer. Troopers are enforcing traffic laws every day, taking part in special enforcement operations, issuing citations, making arrests, and removing impaired drivers. Won't you please do your part to prevent traffic crashes? The lives you save could be yours, your friends, your family, your neighbors ... Make a choice to make 2014 a good year for driving on Missouri's roadways.

In support of "The Drive To ZERO Highway Deaths," the Patrol encourages motorists to protect themselves and their passengers by making sure everyone in the vehicle is properly restrained in a seat belt or child restraint. 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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