Plan A Safe Labor Day Weekend

Colonel Eric T. Olson, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, encourages everyone to plan for a safe 2020 Labor Day weekend. Whether you are on the water or on the road, it’s everyone's responsibility to travel safely and observe all Missouri laws. It is also important to observe social distancing and other CDC guidelines related to the coronavirus, and stay home if you are ill.
As you plan your Labor Day weekend, incorporate safety into every facet--choosing your route, making sure your equipment is in good working condition, being aware of and following Missouri's traffic and boating laws, driving your vehicle or vessel courteously, and wearing a seat belt or a life jacket. Help ensure a safer Labor Day weekend for everyone.
In Missouri, nine people died and 431 were injured in 1,021 traffic crashes over the 2019 Labor Day holiday. This means one person was killed or injured every 10.6 minutes. Troopers arrested 116 people for driving while intoxicated during last year’s holiday weekend.
The Labor Day holiday is also a busy boating weekend. In 2019, there were 11 boating crashes which included four injuries, and no fatalities. There were no drownings over last year's Labor Day holiday. Troopers arrested 10 people for boating while intoxicated during last year's counting period.
The 2020 counting period for the Labor Day holiday will be from 6 p.m., Friday, September 4, 2020, through 11:59 p.m. Monday, September 7, 2020.
The Highway Patrol will be participating in Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness & Reduction Effort) over the Labor Day holiday weekend. Speed, inattention, and impaired driving are leading causes of traffic crashes. All available troopers will be patrolling Missouri’s roadways and waterways. Troopers on the roadways will be enforcing Missouri’s speed limit, seat belt, and impaired driving laws, in addition to being available to assist motorists.