A holiday gift to give yourself: Patrol offers tips on arriving safely at your destination
SIKESTON -- As motorists take to the highways this week, the Missouri State Highway Patrol offered tips to ensure everyone arrives safely to their holiday destinations.
Sgt. Clark Parrott, public information officer for Patrol's Troop E in Poplar Bluff, said the best reminder he can give motorists is simply to obey all traffic laws.
"When we look at the numbers, speed, distraction and impairment are the top three factors of fatal traffic crashes," Parrott said.
Distracted driving can be a passenger, animal, cell phone or a hot cup of coffee or tea spilled, he said.
"In terms of cell phone use, if you have a passenger with you, it's a good idea to have someone else be the designated texter so your task is on what it's supposed to be and you're operating in a safe manner," Parrott said.
Also, wearing seat belts is another good practice -- not only during the holidays but year-round, Parrott said.
"Sixty-three percent of motorists aren't wearing seat belts. If we can get people to obey the laws and wear seat belts especially this time of year, we can decrease our fatalities," Parrott said.
Also with Christmas and New Year's holidays being three-day weekends, make sure to have a designated driver.
"Even buzzed driving is impaired driving," he said.
Last year over the Christmas holiday, there were 1,159 traffic crashes during the 102-hour counting period in Missouri. In those crashes, 14 people were killed and another 388 were injured. During the 2014 Christmas holiday, one person was killed or injured every 15 minutes.
For the full story see Wednesday's Standard Democrat.