You’ll notice extra Missouri state troopers on the roads throughout the Christmas holiday counting period.
We’re expecting cloudy conditions in Columbia and Jefferson City on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with a high of 73. Missouri State Highway Patrol Captain Scott White encourages you to check your vehicle before you travel and to slow down and wear your seat belt:
“We just want to remind people especially with the weather being nice coming up at least on Christmas Day that we work as many crashes many times in the middle of the summer when it’s 90 degrees and sunny out,” Captain White says.
Missouri state troopers say that five motorists were killed and another 133 suffered injuries in 295 traffic crashes during 2024’s 30-hour Christmas counting period. This year’s counting period begins at 6 pm on Christmas Eve (Wednesday) and goes until 11:59 on Sunday night.
Missouri state troopers will be visible on I-70 and on state highways throughout the Christmas holiday counting period. Some of you will travel to your Christmas destination today and others will leave on Christmas Eve. Captain White tells 939 the Eagle that there is never a reason to speed or to drive aggressively or impaired:
“The leading contributing factors when it comes to crashes every year is inattention, speed and impairment. So we just (want to) make sure that everyone is paying attention and wear that seat belt and just please, obey all those traffic laws,” Captain White says.
The Highway Patrol encourages you to call *55 on your cell phone if you see driving behavior that could cause a crash.