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. J. Tim Hull
Q11102014-1 (573) 526-6115
November 10, 2014
EMPHASIS: Please Drive Safely During Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend

“It's important that everyone arrive at their Thanksgiving destination safely," said Colonel Ron Replogle, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. "Please obey all traffic laws, wear your seat belt, and pay attention to the job of driving--that text or cell phone call can wait. If alcohol is part of your plan, don’t drink and drive. On behalf of the employees of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, I wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving.”

The counting period for the 2014 Thanksgiving holiday weekend is from 6 p.m. Wednesday, November 26, until 11:59 p.m. Sunday, November 30, 2014. During the 2013 Thanksgiving holiday weekend, 11 people were killed and another 455 were injured in 1,195 traffic crashes. That means traffic crashes killed or injured one person every 13.3 minutes in Missouri over last year's Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The long Thanksgiving weekend allows Missourians to travel to see family, enjoy a mini vacation, or begin shopping for the upcoming holiday season. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reminds motorists that these activities may change traffic patterns, requiring everyone to be courteous, safe drivers. If you will be traveling this holiday, 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 (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) during this Thanksgiving holiday weekend. As part of this operation, all available officers will be assigned to Missouri’s roadways to enforce traffic laws, especially those related to drunk driving, speeding, and seat belt/child restraint use. Troopers will also be assisting 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 such an enforcement project, a 20-Mile Trooper operation, on November 26 and November 30, 2014. Troopers will be assigned at 20-mile intervals along Interstates 29, 44, 55, and 70, as well as U.S. Highways 60 and 61.

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.

Of course, no matter how safely you drive, you can’t control other drivers. Thus, the Patrol encourages motorists to protect themselves from all types of hazardous drivers by making sure everyone in the vehicle is properly restrained in a seat belt or child restraint. Click It 4 Life!

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