The long Christmas weekend begins and the State Highway Patrol is reminding motorists to take it easy on the roads. That means paying attention on the roads and not getting behind the wheel if you’ve been drinking alcohol.
“Wear your seat belt, pay attention to your driving, and please don’t drink and drive,” said Highway Patrol Captain Tim Hull in an interview with the Missourinet. “There’s a lot of holiday parties where drinking is a part of that celebrating.”
More than a dozen people lost their lives on Missouri’s roads during Christmas weekend last year.
“There were 15 people killed during that time period, 477 were injured, and the total number of traffic crashes during the counting period was 1,356,” said Hull. “That’s a lot of traffic crashes. That’s way too many people killed and way too many people injured.”
Troopers will be out in force to watch for violations and to assist motorists who need help.
The Christmas weekend counting period begins Christmas Eve at 6 pm and runs through Sunday night at 11:59.
Audio: Steve Walsh reports (:60 MP3)
