HIGHWAY PATROL OUT IN FORCE

Highway patrols will be out in greater numbers in Missouri and Illinois this weekend with the hope of keeping drivers' eyes on the road.

In almost 60 percent of accidents with injuries, the cause is driver inattention, said Lt. Tim Hull of the Missouri Highway Patrol.

"People will be talking on a cell phone, changing radio stations, looking at and talking with someone else in the car," Hull said.

Few members of highway patrols in the two states will take the weekend off, so drivers will get some incentive to watch the roads more carefully, he said.

Both Illinois' State Police and Missouri's Highway Patrol will be part of the national Combined Accident Reduction Effort, or CARE. This mobilizes specific units to crack down on speeding, intoxication and aggressive driving. They also encourage seatbelt use.

Of the 25 fatalities in Memorial Day weekend wrecks last year in Illinois, 18 people were not wearing seat belts, the state police said.

Missouri had 9 roadway fatalities over the holiday weekend in 1999. Seven of these individuals were not wearing seatbelts, Hull said.

Overall, Missouri had 1,480 vehicle crashes during last year's holiday period, which is measured between 6 p.m. on Friday to midnight on Monday, he said. Of these accidents, 686 involved injuries.

In Cape Girardeau County last year, 15 wrecks occurred, with two injuries. There were no fatalities.

No fatalities were reported over the holiday weekend last year in Illinois' District 22, which covers the seven southern counties.

Exactly 58.4 percent of Missouri's Memorial Day weekend accidents are caused by driver inattention, Hull said. This is followed by 25.1 percent exceeding the speed limit; 16.3 percent failing to yield; and 12 percent drinking alcohol. Over the course of the year, the causes remain the same except for DWIs rising to third on the list.

Good weather promised for Memorial Day will mean more cars on the road, said Lt. Dave Hart.

Typically, this also increases the number of criminal investigations, Hart said. Cases of drug possession or people with outstanding warrants are often found through traffic stops, he said.

"Speeding is sometimes just the beginning of another case," he said.