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
Q11132017 (573) 526-6115
November 13, 2017

EMPHASIS: Choose To Drive Safely During Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend

Colonel Sandra K. Karsten, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, urges motorists to pay attention as they travel over the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

“Distracted drivers are dangerous drivers,” said Colonel Karsten. “We need every driver to pay attention every mile of their trip. That means obeying all traffic signs, driving sober, and putting down your cell phone in order to have a safe Thanksgiving holiday.”

The counting period for the 2017 Thanksgiving holiday weekend is from 6 p.m. Wednesday, November 22, until 11:59 p.m. Sunday, November 26, 2017. During the 2016 Thanksgiving holiday weekend, 14 people were killed and another 553 were injured in 1,426 traffic crashes. That means one person was killed or injured in a traffic crash every 10.8 minutes in Missouri over last year's Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Whether you’re on the road visiting family and friends or out shopping for a good deal, please make sure your car is in good condition before beginning your trip. It is also important that you are well rested before you start driving. Remember to buckle up -- seat belts save lives! Obey all of the traffic laws—all of the time. There is never a reason to speed, drive aggressively, or drive impaired.

The Patrol will participate in Operation C.A.R.E (Crash Awareness & Reduction Effort) during this Thanksgiving holiday weekend. As part of this operation, all available troopers will be assigned to Missouri’s roadways to enforce traffic laws, especially those related to impaired driving, driving over the speed limit, and seat belt/child restraint use. Troopers will also be available to assist motorists as needed.

Over the past several years, the Patrol has used special traffic enforcement projects to further their efforts to decrease traffic crashes and fatalities. This Thanksgiving weekend will include 20-Mile Trooper enforcement projects on November 22 and November 26, 2017. Troopers will be assigned at 20-mile intervals along Interstates 29, 44, 55, and 70, as well as U.S. Highways 60 and 63.

The Highway Patrol’s Emergency Assistance number is 1-800-525-5555 (or *55 on a cellular phone). Motorists should use this emergency assistance number to report traffic crashes, crimes being committed, or other emergencies on Missouri’s highways. When you dial this number anywhere in the state, it rings directly into the closest Patrol headquarters.

The only 100 percent survivable traffic crash is the one that never happens. Make sure everyone in the vehicle is properly restrained in a seat belt or child restraint. Every day as we travel on Missouri’s roadways, we trust that every driver on the road is going to obey the speed limit, pay attention, and drive sober. “Don’t Violate The Trust.”

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