Highway Patrol Wants You To Plan A Safe July Fourth Weekend

This weekend is the annual Fourth of July Independence Day celebration and folks across the state will be hosting backyard barbecues, heading to pool parties or heading out to take in fireworks displays from around the area. While you are out and about the Missouri State Highway Patrol wants to remind you to put safety first and that they will be out in force over the holiday weekend.

On the roadways the Highway Patrol will be taking part in Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness & Reduction Effort) while on the states waterways Troopers will be conducting Operation Dry Water, which specifically targets impaired vessel operators. Between these two operations all available troopers will be patrolling Missouri roadways and waterways to enforce traffic and boating laws, and offering assistance as needed.

During the 2021 counting period, seven people were killed and 532 injured in Missouri over the holiday in 1,139 traffic crashes. Over the 2021 July Fourth holiday, troopers arrested 80 people for driving while intoxicated.

Also in 2021, there were 12 boating crashes, which included eight injuries and one fatality. One person drowned during last year’s July Fourth holiday and Troopers made nine boating while intoxicated arrests over last year’s July Fourth holiday weekend.

The 2022 counting period for the July Fourth holiday will be from 6 p.m., Friday, July 1, to 11:59 p.m., Monday, July 4, 2022.