Missouri State Highway Patrol on holiday travel safety

(Jefferson County) With the holiday season underway law enforcement agencies are expecting an increase in traffic as people travel to shop or visit family and friends.

Corporal Dallas Thompson with the Missouri State Highway Patrol says they see a huge increase in traffic crashes and fatalities leading up to Christmas. He mentions it’s important to have safety at the forefront of your travel.

Corporal Thompson says the highway patrol will be conducting operation Crash Awareness & Reduction Effort otherwise known as C.A.R.E. through the holiday season.

Last year over the Christmas holiday, there were 746 traffic crashes during the counting period.

In those crashes, 10 people were killed and another 310 were injured.

This year’s traffic crash counting period begins at 6pm on Thursday, December 23, and ends at 11:59pm on Sunday, December 26.