‘care’ during Memorial Day holidays
Freelancer
The grass is growing like
crazy, the school year is
coming to an end and self-
inflating swimming pools line
the shelves of local department
stores. Yep, it’s nearly
Memorial Day.
Typically a time when many
people take their first
vacations of the summer,
Memorial Day Weekend can
be a dangerous time on
Missouri highways.
Those taking to the highways during the upcoming Memorial
Day Weekend holiday are reminded to take care while
driving. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says inattention,
speeding and failing to yield the right-of-way are among the
leading contributing factors to traffic crashes.
were injured in 1,182 traffic crashes over the Memorial Day holiday weekend last year. That
is one person killed or injured every 7.9 minutes. Inattention, speeding and failing to yield the
right-of-way were the leading contributing factors to traffic crashes over the 2005 Memorial
Day weekend.
In an effort to reduce those numbers, the Missouri State Highway Patrol will once again
participate in Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Enforcement) during the
upcoming Memorial Day weekend. Operation C.A.R.E. began in 1977 to deter the three
key causes of highway fatalities: speeding, impaired driving and failure to use seat belts.
“The Highway Patrol is proud to be part of Operation C.A.R.E.,” said Col. Roger D.
Stottlemyre, superintendent of the Highway Patrol. “It is one of the longest running traffic
safety initiatives in the nation.”
Motorists in need of assistance or who want to report a crime should use the Highway
Patrol's Highway Emergency number 1-800-525-5555 or *55 on a cellular phone. For road
condition reports, travelers can call 1-800-222-6400 to hear about road construction areas
throughout the state. Stottlemyre said assistance should be easy to find during the holiday.
“During Memorial Day weekend every available officer will be on the road enforcing traffic
laws and assisting motorists,” he said. “Together, we can make this holiday a safe one.”
This year’s holiday counting period for the Memorial Day Weekend begins at 6 p.m. Friday,
May 26, and ends at 11:59 p.m., Monday May 29, 2006. While troopers will focus their
attention on seat belt use, use of child safety seats, drinking and driving and speeding,
motorists are reminded to obey all traffic laws.
“We expect a large number of drivers on the road this holiday,” Stottlemyre said. “We want
everyone to enjoy their weekend plans, and encourage all to make safety a priority. Be
aware of construction along your route, obey all of Missouri’s traffic laws and buckle up.”
Statewide fatality totals for the year to date would seem to indicate that Missouri motorists
are heeding the Highway Patrol’s warnings. So far in 2006, 359 people have died in traffic
crashes, down from 463 in the same period last year. That represents a 22 percent decrease.
Should the trend continue for the remainder of the year, the fatality total would be 961 or
271 less than last year.
Contact Chris Post at chrispost@midwestfreelancer.com
View Chris’s blog at http://chrispost.blogspot.com/
