Many people will travel somewhere during the upcoming 4th of July holiday weekend and the Missouri State Highway Patrol says no matter what you plan for the four-day holiday, please be courteous and follow all Missouri traffic and boating laws.
In 2016, five people were killed and 565 injured in Missouri over the holiday in 1,370 traffic crashes. Over the 2016 July Fourth holiday, troopers arrested 121 people for driving while intoxicated.
The 2017 counting period for the July Fourth holiday will be from 6 p.m., Friday, June 30, to 11:59 p.m., Tuesday, July 4.
The Highway Patrol will be participating in Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness & Reduction Effort) over the July Fourth holiday weekend. All available officers will be patrolling Missouri’s roadways enforcing Missouri’s traffic laws in addition to being available to assist motorists. There is never a good reason to drive over the speed limit. There is always a good reason to wear your seatbelt. Drinking and driving don’t mix. Remember: Statutes direct motorists to drive with the highest degree of care. Please be a courteous driver and follow all traffic laws.
Troopers throughout the state will participate in a 20-Mile Trooper enforcement project on Friday, June 30, and Tuesday, July 4, 2017. As part of this special enforcement project, troopers will patrol a 20-mile length of interstate or designated highway and make every effort to be a visible enforcement presence. The 20-Mile Trooper project will take place on Interstates 29, 44, 55, and 70, and U.S. Highways 60 and 63. Troopers will target all traffic violators being especially vigilant of aggressive driving violations.
Motorists who need assistance or who witness criminal activity while traveling on Missouri’s roadways can contact the nearest Highway Patrol troop headquarters by calling the Patrol Emergency Report Line at 1-800-525-5555 or *55 on a cellular phone. Motorists may call 1-888-275-6636 to check for road construction along their travel route.
