Memorial Day weekend will come with increased law enforcement presence along Missouri’s highways.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol statewide will be participating in Operation C.A.R.E (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) in an effort to reduce the number and severity of traffic crashes.
“We will be on the road for high visibility and strict enforcement to make sure we’re keeping people safe and, if someone has car troubles or needs assistance, we are able to assist them,” said Sgt. Jacob Angle of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Angle said the Memorial Day holiday kicks off one of Missouri’s peak travel dates, followed by Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
“Every Memorial Day is busy. … We are hoping with our efforts with Operation C.A.R.E it will reduce fatalities, accidents and get everyone to their destination safely,” Angle said.
Over the 2015 Memorial Day holiday weekend, eight people died and 411 were injured in 969 traffic crashes. Last year, 105 people were arrested for DWI.
This weekend, available troopers will be monitoring speed, aggressive driving, following too close, failure to signal and impaired driving — all actions that typically contribute to traffic crashes.
“If your plans include alcohol over the Memorial Day weekend —we can’t say it enough — make sure you have a sober, designated driver or make sure you have somewhere to stay,” Angle said.
Motorists who suspect someone is driving impaired can dial 55 on a cellphone to reach the nearest highway patrol headquarters. They can also download the highway patrol application for their smart phones by searching the Google Play store for Android, or I-Tunes for Apple devices.
