Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel holidays of the entire year. For many, it is a four-day weekend, and whether you are heading across country for a short vacation or to the country for the traditional Thanksgiving Day meal with your family, you want to ensure that everyone arrives and returns home in equal safety.

And if you are just driving a short distance from Columbia to mom’s or grandma’s house, or across the state to St. Louis, Kansas City or south to the Ozarks, you are likely to encounter a friendly Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper, ready to assist motorists in need or arrest some whom they feel have had a little too much holiday cheer.

They will also be noticeable along the highway as they implement Operation C.A.R.E (Combined Accident Reduction Effort), which will see the placement of troopers along major highways throughout the state, including Interstate 70 passing through Columbia.

The troopers will be spaced at 20-mile intervals and will be watching for drunk driving, speeding, failure to use seat belts and child restraints. The Thanksgiving holiday last year witnessed 18 deaths and 469 with injuries. There were more than 1,100 vehicle crashes or almost 11 per hour during the 102 hours of the holiday weekend.

Because of this increased enforcement, the potential for DWI charge is high and the penalties can be expensive.



You could be faced with the need to take time off work to appear in court, arrange for rides when your license is revoked, the potential for jail time, the likelihood of fines, plus the higher cost of insurance once you regain your driving privileges.

If you are convicted, the DWI could lead to your losing your job and even difficulties with renting an apartment afterward.

Because of the seriousness of these charges, you need to act quickly to work with an attorney to minimize the damage. As always, if you will be drinking, the use of a designated driver can help you reduce your risk of these charges.

Source: dailyjournalonline.com, “Please Drive Safely during Thanksgiving weekend,” November 18, 2015