Missouri State Highway Patrol Christmas counting period starts Friday night

The holiday counting period for the Missouri State Highway Patrol starts at 6 p.m. Friday and ends 11:59 p.m. Monday.

The MSHP will increase patrols that period because it’s a holiday weekend and officials know that the number of travelers will increase.

According to MSHP records, there were 1,070 crashes last year in Missouri during the Christmas counting period. Five were fatal.

MSHP public information officer Lt. Paul Reinsch said the reason for the counting period is to track traffic totals during a specific period of time and advise drivers to be more mindful of safety.

Reinsch said the MSHP will have as many officers that are available patrolling the roads during the counting period.

The Missouri Department of Transportation said it will help MSHP if the need arises.

Mike Schupp, area engineer for MODOT’s north central counties, said the agency is not expecting bad road conditions over the holiday weekend. He said trucks are equipped and ready to roll and staff will be ready in case the weather changes.