The Transporation Department, Highway Patrol and Mothers Against Drunk Driving are reminding motorists of the dangers of drunk driving.
A ceremonial tree has been lit in the Capitol Rotunda to remember victims of drunk driving. Highway Patrol Superintendent Colonel Ron Replogle says drunk driving is a senseless crime, and that everyone who drives drunk makes the choice to do so.
He says Missouri’s road fatalities have decreased by 31 percent since 2005, but drunk driving fatalities have remained steady, contributing to more than 30 percent of all highway deaths. He remembers arriving at a crash caused by a 19-year-old.
The Patrol and MoDOT report that the holidays are a dangerous time on Missouri roads. Last year from Thanksgiving through Christmas, 88 Missourians were killed in traffic crashes — one third of them were alcohol related.
Replogle spoke at a ceremony at the State Capitol, where a tree has been lit in rememberance of drunk driving victims and their families.
Nearly 5 thousand Missourians were injured in holiday crashes last year.