As a Kansas City car accident attorney and a highway safety advocate, I was very pleased to learn that the Missouri Highway Patrol was honored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police earlier this month.
The IACP through an agreement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, recognizes the work of law enforcement agencies. Every year, the IACP awards the National Law Enforcement Challenge Awards, which are handed out after comparing the performance of state law enforcement and highway safety agencies based on occupant protection, speeding, and intoxicated driving.
This year’s award was presented at the 117th annual conference of the IACP in Orlando, Florida. The Missouri Highway Patrol placed first in the “1001 to 2500 State Police and Highway Patrols” category. The award recognizes the MSHP’s great overall performance in traffic safety enforcement. The Missouri Department of Public Safety Director John Britt has called it a “well-deserved national recognition” of the superlative performance of the State Highway Patrol, which has been doing great work enforcing safety laws and keeping our roads safer for motorists.
Over next few weeks, the MHP’s determination will be sorely tested, as millions of Missourians take to the highways over the annual holiday travel season. The year’s biggest travel season kicks off over the Thanksgiving holiday. As a Kansas City car accident attorney, I expect there to be more numbers of Missourians on the highways this year. That means more numbers of Missourians on our roads, not all of who will be fit to drive.
The Missouri Highway Patrol is well aware that it will be under tremendous pressure and stress over the next couple of months. This award should be a huge incentive for the state agency to step up to its challenges.
