Speed Trap

As Thanksgiving Break approaches, Missouri state troopers are putting the final touches on an elaborate network of state-wide highway patrol operations aimed at reducing road fatalities. 

Thousands of motorists are expected to fill Missouri's highways during the Thanksgiving Break, one of the busiest travel holidays of the year. Troop B of the Missouri State Highway Patrol will deploy troopers every 10 miles along Highway 63 from noon to midnight on Nov. 25 and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Nov. 29, the Sunday many college students will be returning to school.

State troopers also will enforce Operation CARE, Combined Accident Reduction Effort, a national road safety program that will run through the Thanksgiving weekend in a bid to cut down on irresponsible driving. Similar operations are underway in other cities in Missouri as well as in other states.

Captain John W. Elliott, commanding officer of the Macon-based Troop B, said state troopers would stake out Highway 63 and be on the lookout for travelers driving recklessly as well as to assist motorists.

"Thanksgiving weekend is one of the busiest holidays for travel in our nation and the Missouri State Highway Patrol is committed to making Missouri highways safe and to reduce traffic crashes," Elliott said. "I want to encourage motorists to do their part by abiding by all traffic laws and making sure everyone in their vehicle is buckled up."

Elliott said the troopers would be assigned to patrol the roads during the holiday period and provide additional manpower to routine policing efforts.

Decline in overall road fatalities

Missouri has seen an 11 percent decline in road fatalities during the first 11 months of 2009, compared to the same period in 2008, according to figures obtained from the Missouri State Highway Patrol,

There were 842 fatal road crashes on Missouri's highways at this time in 2008, compared to 741 fatal crashes during the same period in 2009.

In November 2008, there were 46 fatal crashes, and 40 had been recorded in 2009 as of Monday. Missouri's annual total for 2008 was 960, down from 992 in 2007 and 1,096 in 2006. The Missouri State Highway Patrol has attributed the decline in fatal crashes to its efforts and operations against drinking and driving and other traffic offenses. 

The number of fatal road crashes in the U.S. has been declining since 2005, when the national total was 39,252. The national total for 2008 was 34,017 fatal crashes, according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System. 

Despite the decline in overall fatal road crashes over the years, the number of motorcyclists, pedestrians and cyclists killed on state highways in the U.S. has not shown a marked decline, with 5,290 motorcyclists killed in 2008, the highest number recorded since 1994.