Motorists Advised to Drive Safely.
JEFFERSON CITY –Labor Day weekend is one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. Unfortunately, it can also be one of the deadliest.
“We want motorists to get where they are going safely and Arrive Alive,” said Leanna Depue, executive committee chair for the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety. “It’s important everyone do their part by obeying the laws of road, buckling up, and paying attention while driving.”
During the 2012 Labor Day holiday in Missouri, seven people died and 413 were injured in 1,086 traffic crashes. Of those fatalities, six were killed in automobiles, trucks, vans and motor homes (vehicles normally having safety restraint devices), and four of them were not using their safety belts.
The most common causes for traffic crashes during last year’s holiday weekend included inattention, failing to yield, improper lane usage, following too close and speeding.“Another huge concern during holiday travel is impaired driving,” Depue says. “Always drive sober or designate a sober driver.”
This year’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign began Aug. 16 and runs through the Labor Day holiday. Law enforcement will participate in statewide sobriety checkpoints and DWI saturations patrols to enforce Missouri’s DWI laws and keep impaired drivers off the road. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety offers several tips for safe travel this holiday weekend:
· Buckle up – every trip, every time – safety belts save lives.
· Don’t drink and drive – impairment of any kind is dangerous. Designate a sober driver.
· Don’t speed – note the posted limits and adjust for weather and traffic conditions
· Pay attention and stay alert – dedicate your full attention to the roadway.
· Obey traffic rules and signs – they are there to help you.
· Plan your trip – determine your route before you leave.
· Get plenty of rest before your trip – change drivers if you feel tired.
· Be patient and courteous.
For more information, visit saveMOlives.com, or find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, #saveMOlives, #ArriveAlive and #drivesoberMO.
