Colonel Eric T. Olson, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, encourages everyone to plan for a safe Labor Day weekend.

As you plan your Labor Day weekend, Olson says 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.

In Missouri, 18 people died and 463 were injured in 1,041 traffic crashes over the 2020 Labor Day holiday. This means one person was killed or injured every 9.7 minutes. Troopers arrested 146 people for driving while intoxicated during last year’s holiday weekend.

The Labor Day holiday is also a busy boating weekend. In 2020, there were 20 boating crashes which included one fatality and six injuries. There were no drownings over last year’s Labor Day holiday. Troopers arrested seven people for boating while intoxicated during last year’s counting period.

The counting period for the Labor Day holiday weekend will be from 6 p.m., Friday, September 3, through 11:59 p.m. Monday, September 6.