Memorial Day weekend calls for traveling and being outside. Our state has much to offer, especially when the weather is nice. A little planning will go a long way to making your Memorial Day weekend activities a success.
Due to ongoing road construction throughout the state, the Patrol suggests that travelers use the MoDOT Traveler Information Map to plan their travel days. The map provides up-to-date information such as road closures, delays, construction zones, and alternative routes. You can download the app for free to your smart device or access it here. Drivers and boat operators are reminded to follow all of Missouri’s laws and to be courteous. Always wear a seat belt when traveling in a vehicle, and wear a life jacket when near, on, or in the water.
This 2026 Memorial Day holiday counting period begins at 6 p.m., Friday, May 22, and ends at 11:59 p.m., Monday, May 25. Every available trooper will be on the road or on the water, enforcing Missouri laws and assisting those in need. Troopers on the roadways will focus their attention on hazardous moving violations, speed violations, and impaired drivers. The Patrol will be participating in Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness Reduction Effort) during Memorial Day weekend.
Over the 2025 Memorial Day holiday weekend, there were 868 vehicle crashes statewide which injured 356 people and killed four.
The Memorial Day weekend is also an unofficial start to the boating season. During the 2025 Memorial Day weekend, there were three boating crashes which included no fatalities and no injuries. Last year, troopers made 81 driving while intoxicated and no boating while intoxicated arrests.
The public is encouraged to call the Patrol’s Emergency Report Line (800) 525-5555 or *55 on your cellular phone if they witness criminal activity or experience an emergency. These emergency numbers are operational for both highway and water emergencies. If your celebration includes intoxicating substances, designate someone else to drive whether you are in your boat or your car. Don’t become a statistic.
