WELCOME!                       Our appreciation to the Missouri State Highway Patrol for this information.

Back to School

• Summer vacations are winding to a close, and children are heading back to school. Please slow down and stay alert as you are driving, especially near school zones. When you see a school bus on the move or are driving near a playground, think safety. Slow down and watch out for children who might dart unexpectedly into the road; they probably won't be watching for you. A public service announcement from your Missouri State Highway Patrol.
• When you see a school bus traveling on Missouri's roadways, stay alert and maintain a safe following distance. School busses make frequent stops to load and unload passengers, and are required to stop at all highway-rail grade crossings. Be aware and drive with care. Remember: You must stop if the bus' lights are flashing and the red stop arm is extended. This law protects Missouri's students. Please obey it. A public service announcement from your Missouri State Highway Patrol.
• Parents, set a good example for your children --- their actions and attitudes are modeled after yours| Be a safe and courteous driver. Buckle your seat belt and obey the traffic laws. Children learn what they live. Help teach your children to be considerate of those around them and to follow the rules.
• Students walking to and from school sometimes become unsuspecting targets for people whose intentions are not good. Teach your children never to talk to strangers or accept rides from people they do not know. Make sure your children walk with a group of friends and cross streets only at intersections or marked crosswalks. Remind your children to stay alert to traffic and to never dash into the street. Students also should obey all signals and instructions of the school crossing guard.

• Research shows that a driver's perceptions of gaps in traffic and other changing conditions become impaired when they use a cellular phone while operating a motor vehicle. In other words, drivers become so absorbed in their phone conversations that they become inattentive. Inattention is one of the main contributing factors in traffic crashes. If the call is that important, pull off the road, for your safety and that of others. Know when to hang up.
• If drivers know the risks of cellular phone use and follow safe-driving tips, they can maximize their cell phone's safety features and not become a hazard on the road. If you must dial and drive, wait until you stop at a stoplight or pull off the road. Speed dial, voice-activated dialing, and speakerphone units can help keep your hands on the wheel. And know when to hang up. If the conversation is emotional, get off the road or hang up.
• The Missouri State Highway Patrol understands that cellular phones account for more than 500,000 emergency calls to 9-1-1 dispatchers each month. Those calls were may have saved many lives. However, the Patrol encourages you to use your phone's safety features--voice dialing or a speakerphone unit--to keep your hands on the wheel. Don't add additional distractions while you drive. The risk of a crash doubles when a driver uses a car phone while they drink a beverage or light a cigarette.
• The Missouri State Highway Patrol encourages you to drive safely ... especially if you are using a cellular phone while driving. The risk of a traffic crash doubles when a driver uses a car phone when they also drink a beverage or light a cigarette. The risk of a crash triples when the driver takes both hands off the wheel. If you have to use your cellular phone, please remember to stay alert and watch for changing conditions while you drive.

• In Missouri, restraining your child when they are traveling in a vehicle is more than a good idea -- it's the law| February 11-17, 2001 is National Child Passenger Safety Week. If you have children under the age of four, they must be properly restrained when traveling in a car. Older children must wear a seat belt. Children are your most precious cargo. Protect them by buckling them up every time they get into a car.
• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for young children. The worst possible place for a child to ride is in the arms of an adult. In a traffic crash, an adult can literally crush a child against the dashboard. Child safety seats hold onto your child in a crash and keep the child from hitting dangerous objects or from being thrown out of the vehicle. In Missouri, restraining your children when they are traveling is more than a good idea, it's the law!
• In 1999, 10 children under age four were killed in traffic crashes and another 1,244 were injured. We teach children not to play with fire and to look both ways before they cross the street. Let's also teach them to buckle up every time they get into a car or truck. February 11-17, 2001 is National Child Passenger Safety Week. Start a habit that could save your child's life. If you have questions concerning your child safety seat, contact your local troop headquarters and ask for the public information and education officer.
• Moving from a child safety seat or booster seat to an adult lap and shoulder belt can be a big step for a child. The lap/shoulder belts are designed for children who weigh 70 pounds or more. Use them for a child only if the belt fits snugly across the child's hips and doesn't cross the child's face or neck. Using a seat belt should make people feel safer, not uncomfortable. Buckle up ... Correctly.
• All 50 states and the District of Columbia have child passenger protection laws. In Missouri, any child under the age of four must be safely buckled into an approved child safety seat. Children older than four should be in a booster seat or adult lap/shoulder belt depending on their weight. Seat belts save lives. No matter what age children are, they should be taught to buckle up every time they get into a vehicle. It's the safe ... and smart thing to do.

• Nice weather increases road construction in Missouri. It also increases the number of travelers on Missouri's roadways. Please be patient when you approach road construction areas. These crews are working hard to improve the roadways for motorists. Speed limits may be lowered in these areas for your safety and the safety of the work crews. The number one cause of traffic crashes in road construction areas is driving too fast. Please obey the construction zone speed limit--It's the law.
• In highway construction zones, the roadway usually has been narrowed due to repairs. This leaves less room for drivers to react if the vehicles in front of them slow down or stop suddenly. Please keep this in mind as you approach a highway construction zone. The number one cause of traffic crashes in road construction areas is driving too fast. Please ... pay attention to your driving and slow down in contruction zone areas. Our road construction crews are working to improve Missouri's roadways.
• Before you hit the road for your summer vacation or weekend trip, remember to call the Missouri State Highway Patrol Road Report Hotline. This hotline will inform you about long-term road construction taking place along your travel route. Knowing this information in advance allows you to prepare--extra time and patience are good things to take with you into a contruction zone. Call 1-800-222-6400 before you leave. Sharing the road with a construction crew will make traveling easier in the long run.
• In 1999, six persons were killed and 752 injured in traffic crashes involving construction or other work zones. That's one person killed or injured in construction or other work zones every 11.6 hours in Missouri. The number one cause of these types of crashes is driving too fast. Pay attention to reduced speed limits, narrowed lanes, and other changes in traffic patters. Road construction is temporary--please be patient. Missouri's construction crews are working to improve your roadways. Help them do this safely ...

• If you want to have fun, Missouri is the place to be. You can go fishing or boating on one of Missouri's many lakes, catch a professional football game, or visit a theme park or museum. But, you can't do any of these things if you are sitting in jail because you got caught driving drunk. In 1999, one person was killed or injured every 1.3 hours in an alcohol-related traffic crash. If you choose to drink, choose a designated driver. Drinking and driving could leave you or someone you love dead on the road.
• Everyone knows drinking and driving is against the law. In 1999, 20.9 percent of all traffic fatalities were alcohol related. So, what are your alternatives? Choose a designated driver. Take turns being the designated driver with your friends. After all, that's what friends do -- watch out for one another. You can call a cab or take the bus. Stay home and party. Whatever you choose, don't drink and drive.
• In Missouri, there is a law called "Abuse and Lose". If you are under 21 and are found guilty of an alcohol-related traffic offense, your driver's license can be revoked for 90 days. To get it back, you must participate in a court-approved alcohol-related education program. Before you drive drunk, think about what it would be like to have to ask others for a ride to work or school every day ... face your family and friends after being arrested ... go to court ... or live with the knowledge that you've injured or killed another person. Drinking and driving isn't worth it.
• It's Friday night and you're meeting your friends for a drink. Having a few too many can cost you big bucks. If you are involved in a drinking-related traffic crash, you can expect to pay big hospital bills, auto repair bills, court costs, and attorney fees. You could have to pay those fees for yourself and for whoever you injure. In addition, your insurance rates will increase. If you choose to drink, choose a designated driver. Drinking and driving isn't worth the cost.
• Nothing ruins a party like a DWI arrest or a drinking-related traffic crash on your way home. If you plan to drink at a party, plan for a designated driver or cab fare home. A DWI arrest can lead to a conviction that carries the possibility of your license being revoked for 90 days or much longer. If you cause a crash, you'll have to pay legal fees and/or hospital bills. In 1999, 217 people were killed and another 6,283 injured in alcohol-related traffic crashes. If you drink, don't drive.

• Someone you don't know needs medical attention, and you can help. When you see the flashing red or blue lights of a police car, ambulance, or fire truck, these vehicles could be responding to an emergency. Move your vehicle to the far right of the road out of the emergency vehicle's way. You could be saving a life.
• You must yield the right of way to emergency service vehicles when their sirens and flashing lights are operating. It's the law. When you see one of these vehicles approaching, remain calm, slowly decrease your speed, and safely move as far to the right of the road as possible. It's important that emergency vehicles arrive quickly and safely to their destination. The person needing their assistance might even be someone you know.
• Inattention and speed are the top causes of traffic crashes. Be alert for sirens and flashing lights on emergency service vehicles. If you hear a siren, an emergency vehicle may be responding to the scene of a traffic crash. Don't cause another. Move safely to the far right of the road when you see an emergency vehicle approaching. Remember that someday, you might be the person needing assistance.
• You see flashing lights in your rear view mirror and automatically your heart jumps into your throat. Then, relief sets in, as you realize you aren't the focus of that emergency vehicle's attention. Remain calm, slow down, and move to the far right of the road. Emergency vehicles have the right of way. Someone, somewhere needs help.

• What would you do if you were in a traffic crash? The Missouri State Highway Patrol encourages drivers to obey traffic laws and drive carefully. But, when a crash occurs, call the nearest law enforcement agency. Note how many vehicles are involved and whether there are injuries before you call. You may want to make notes about the crash to help you remember and to aid the officer who responds to the scene. No one wants to be involved in a crash, but planning ahead can help you deal with the situation should it occur.
• Traffic crashes are unplanned events. However, a driver can plan how to react if a traffic crash occurs. The Missouri State Highway Patrol encourages drivers involved in a traffic crash to remain calm and notify the nearest law enforcement agency. Tell the agency whether or not anyone is injured and how many vehicles are involved. Have your license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance easily accessible. An officer will arrive as quickly as possible to help you and the others involved in the crash.
• Have you ever been involved in a traffic crash? Most people would agree that being in a crash is a stressful experience. The Missouri State Highway Patrol encourages drivers to remember the following: Remain calm; notify the nearest law enforcement agency of the crash and whether there are injured persons; try to obtain names, addresses, and phone numbers for any witnesses; have your driver's license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance easily accessible; and make some notes about the crash to help with the investigation.

If you are stopped by a member of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, knowing what to do and what not to do can make the experience less stressful. When you see flashing lights, don't panic. Pull as far as possible to the right of the traveled portion of the highway. Don't make any sudden or undirected movements, the trooper doesn't know you or your intentions. The trooper will approach your car and explain why you were stopped. Please be polite, the trooper is enforcing the traffic laws to ensure the safety of everyone.