Hazardous Driving Enforcement Yields More Than 90 Violations On I-44

Crawford County sheriff’s deputies conducted a targeted enforcement effort on Interstate 44 in September, focusing on hazardous moving violations, with support from a grant funded by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) Central Missouri District. 

The initiative specifically targeted Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMVs) and passenger cars, resulting in numerous citations for distracted driving, speeding, and careless driving.

During the 30-hour operation, Sheriff Darin Layman said deputies made 43 total stops, including 14 involving CMVs and 29 involving passenger cars. 

CMV drivers received 21 citations for various violations, including using handheld cell phones while driving, speeding, and careless driving. 

Passenger car drivers accounted for 69 violations.

Layman said the enforcement effort comes as part of a broader initiative to address traffic safety concerns. 

“From January 2022 to January 2024, over 1,100 crashes occurred,” Layman said. “Of those, 135 were caused by distracted driving and 239 by speeding, leading to five fatalities and 89 injuries.”

The sheriff’s office reminds drivers of the dangers of distracted driving and speeding, especially in light of Missouri’s new Siddens-Benning Hands-Free Law, which took effect Aug. 28, 2023. 

Although warnings are currently being issued, the law will be fully enforceable with fines starting Jan. 1, 2025.