[Press Release] : FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: HEAT IS ON

[Press Releases]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Officer Latisha Stroer, Public Information Officer
Columbia Police Department
600 E. Walnut
Columbia, MO 65201
(573)874-7448
lmstroer at gocolumbiamo.com

HEAT IS ON

COLUMBIA, MO (June 22, 2011) - HEAT IS ON

 Missouri HEAT is On for Summer
"HEAT Is On" Campaign will kick off with Interstate 70 enforcement June 24-25

Summer is a hot time for travel, which unfortunately brings an increase in traffic-related accidents and fatalities. For the past three summers, Missouri law enforcement has turned up the HEAT on Missouri roads to make travel safer. 
The three-month "HEAT Is On" campaign will run June 21-September 22 and will kick off with an Interstate 70 corridor project on June 24-25. Drivers will see more law enforcement officers on Interstate 70 from 6 a.m. June 24 to 6 a.m. June 25. Extra enforcement will span across Missouri and Kansas with Kansas law enforcement joining the campaign for the first year. 
Last year's 24-hour Interstate 70 enforcement project resulted in a total of 1,080 traffic citations including: 144 seat belt tickets; 530 speeding tickets; and 38 driving while intoxicated.  Two felony and eleven drug arrests were made as a result of the crackdown. 
Law enforcement will be on the lookout for speeders, drivers who aren't wearing seat belts, and drunk drivers.  For the past five years, Missouri has recorded the highest number of fatal and serious injury crashes between July and September. In the summer of 2010, 258 people were killed and 1,716 suffered disabling injuries.
While these numbers are disheartening, highway deaths overall are steadily decreasing.  More people arrived alive on Missouri roads in 2010, the fifth year in a row with a reduction in roadway fatalities. In 2010, 819 people were killed in Missouri traffic crashes, helping Missouri meet its goal of 850 or fewer roadway fatalities by the end of 2012 - two years early! Not since 1949 has Missouri seen so few people killed in highway crashes.
"This campaign is a reminder to motorists to pay close attention to their driving and wear their seat belt for safe traveling this summer." said Traffic Sgt. Curtis Perkins with the Columbia Police Department.
Find out more at www.saveMOlives.com.

                CONTACT:

                Traffic Unit Sgt. Curtis Perkins
                csperkin at gocolumbiamo.com

                or

                Public Information Officer Latisha Stroer
                lmstroer at gocolumbiamo.com


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