Kopit Law Firm, Aug 26, 2026, ZEX PR WIRE — Missouri DWI Law Changes August 28 as ‘Ride Sober’ Campaign Focuses on Motorcycle Safety

House Bill 1740 strengthens consequences in certain impaired-driving cases as Missouri riders and drivers prepare for Labor Day weekend

A new Missouri DWI law takes effect August 28, just as the nationwide Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign turns its attention toward Labor Day travel. This year, the federal campaign also includes a direct message for motorcyclists: Ride Sober or Get Pulled Over.

The timing matters. Summer riding season remains active across Missouri, Labor Day brings more traffic and social gatherings, and motorcyclists face considerably greater physical risk when a crash occurs. Missouri House Bill 1740 is not a motorcycle-specific law, but its changes can apply when an impaired-driving crash seriously injures or kills a rider.

Why motorcycles are part of the impaired-driving conversation

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 40% of motorcycle riders killed in single-vehicle crashes in 2024 were alcohol-impaired. NHTSA also reports that, per vehicle mile traveled, motorcyclists were nearly 27 times more likely than passenger-car occupants to die in a traffic crash in 2024.

The danger is not limited to an impaired person operating a motorcycle. A rider may also be struck by an impaired driver who fails to see the motorcycle, misjudges its speed, crosses the center line or fails to yield. Because a motorcycle does not provide the protection of an enclosed vehicle, the consequences can be catastrophic even when the initial impact occurs at a relatively moderate speed.

Missouri’s experience makes the issue especially relevant. The Missouri Department of Transportation recorded 131 motorcycle fatalities in 2025. The Kansas City, St. Louis, Southeast and Southwest regions accounted for approximately 83% of Missouri’s vulnerable-road-user fatalities that year.

“Motorcyclists have far less physical protection when a crash happens, so impairment—whether by the rider or another driver—can turn one bad decision into a catastrophic injury or death,” said Michael Kopit, founder of Kopit Law Firm in Kansas City.

What Missouri House Bill 1740 changes

Governor Mike Kehoe signed Missouri House Bill 1740 on July 9. The law makes several changes involving driving while intoxicated, including:

• Increasing criminal classifications for certain DWI offenses involving physical injury, serious physical injury or death.
• Establishing Bentley and Mason’s Law, which allows a surviving parent or guardian to petition for court-ordered child maintenance after an intoxicated driver causes the death of a child’s parent or parents and the driver is convicted of or enters a qualifying plea.
• Changing certain ignition-interlock requirements and probation or parole eligibility rules.

Bentley and Mason’s Law does not create an automatic payment. The surviving parent or guardian must file a petition, and the statutory requirements must be met. The law also addresses how a child-maintenance order interacts with a civil judgment obtained on behalf of the child.

Criminal prosecution and civil accountability are different

When an impaired-driving crash causes a motorcycle injury or death, the criminal case is only one part of what may follow. Prosecutors decide whether to bring criminal charges and seek penalties under Missouri law. A civil claim focuses on the losses suffered by the injured rider or surviving family.

Those losses may include emergency treatment, hospitalization, rehabilitation, lost income, reduced earning capacity, long-term care, funeral expenses and the loss of a family member’s support and companionship. A conviction may become relevant to a civil case, but the criminal proceeding does not automatically compensate the injured person or family.

“A criminal prosecution is intended to punish the driver and protect the public,” Kopit said. “A civil claim addresses what the injured rider or surviving family has actually lost. Families should understand that those are separate processes.”

What riders and families should preserve after a serious crash

Medical needs come first after any serious motorcycle crash. Once immediate safety and treatment have been addressed, preserving information is critical. Depending on the circumstances, relevant evidence may include:

• The police crash report and any DWI investigation records.
• Photographs or video of the vehicles, motorcycle, roadway and surrounding area.
• Witness names and contact information.
• Medical records, bills and documentation of missed work.
• The damaged motorcycle, helmet and other riding gear.

Motorcycle claims can present issues that do not arise in an ordinary passenger-vehicle collision, including disputes over rider visibility, lane position, helmet use, road hazards and the extent of future medical needs. Additional information is available in Kopit Law Firm’s Kansas City Motorcycle Accident Lawyer guide.

A timely reminder before Labor Day

The national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign runs from August 19 through Labor Day. The message for drivers and riders is straightforward: arrange a sober ride, designate a sober driver or remain where you are. Motorcyclists should also use a DOT-compliant helmet and appropriate protective gear, but no safety equipment can make impaired riding safe.

Missouri’s new law strengthens the consequences after certain impaired-driving crashes. Avoiding the crash in the first place remains the responsibility of every person who gets behind a wheel or onto a motorcycle.

About Michael Kopit and Kopit Law Firm

Michael Kopit is the founder of Kopit Law Firm, a Kansas City-based personal injury practice representing injured people and families throughout Missouri and Kansas. Before establishing his plaintiff-side practice, he spent nearly a decade representing businesses, corporations and insurers. He is licensed in Missouri and Kansas. Learn more at KopitLaw.com.

The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. Attorney Michael Kopit is responsible for this content. This article is provided for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. The information in this article is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

Hong Kong, Kowloon, 26th August 2026 – PoKeep has released a major update to its free Pokémon GO IV Calculator. The page still starts with the same trainer-facing inputs—species, Combat Power, HP, and Regular / Shadow / Purified—but the result is no longer only an IV table.

After Calculate IV, the tool now opens four views on the same catch: IV, Evolution, Pokédex, and PvP. The IV tab still lists the Attack, Defense, and Stamina combinations that fit the numbers on the Pokémon’s summary screen. The new Evolution and Pokédex tabs add the species data trainers usually look up next: the family line at a chosen level, power-up cost in Stardust, Candy, and XL Candy, type matchups, fast and charged moves, and a ranked counter list.

A Power Up Stardust field has been added to the form. Trainers can enter the Stardust cost shown for the next Power Up, including the higher Shadow price and the Purified discount. That number pins the Pokémon’s level so the IV list is narrower and easier to match to the game panel. Selecting a result row carries that IV spread into the Evolution and PvP views.

The calculator remains browser-only. Users type in visible stats. It does not request Pokémon GO login credentials or connect to a trainer’s account.

Key capabilities

Four result tabs after one calculation: IV, Evolution, Pokédex, and PvP now sit in one result box instead of stopping at the IV table.

Pokédex hero: Name, Pokédex number, type icons, base Attack / Defense / Stamina, and Max CP / Max HP at Level 50, plus Great, Ultra, and Master League rank with the recommended PvP moveset.

Evolution family tree: A horizontal line shows the family, including Mega and other form branches, with CP and HP for the selected IV at the chosen level.

Power-up cost planning: Current and target level sliders total the Stardust, Candy, and XL Candy needed to move between those levels for Regular, Shadow, or Purified.

Forms and shiny art: Regional, Mega, Primal, and shiny portraits for the same species can be opened from the Pokédex tab.

Type matchups: Weaknesses and resistances when attacked, and super-effective or resisted coverage when the Pokémon’s types hit, shown with type icons.

Moves and movesets: Fast and charged moves list damage, energy, DPS, STAB, and Elite TM tags. A moveset table ranks offense and defense combinations.

Top 10 counters: A 100-second battle simulation with type matchups and STAB ranks the best attackers and their fast / charged pair. Mega and Primal forms are excluded from that list.

Power Up Stardust IV filter: Optional next-Power-Up Stardust from the profile screen narrows possible levels. Shadow uses the 20% higher cost; Purified uses the 10% discount.

Same algorithm on every language site: English, Japanese, and Traditional Chinese pages share the matching, evolution, and Pokédex logic. Copy and species names follow the local site.

Manual, browser-based use: The calculator does not ask for Pokémon GO login credentials or connect to a trainer’s game account.

Typical workflow

Step 1. Select the Pokémon. Enter CP and HP from the summary screen. Optionally choose the Stardust shown for the next Power Up, then set Regular, Shadow, or Purified.

Step 2. Select Calculate IV. Treat the first IV row as the primary match. Other rows are additional combinations that also fit the same numbers.

Step 3. Open Evolution to see the family at a target level and the dust / candy cost to get there. Open Pokédex for types, moves, and top counters. Open PvP for Great, Ultra, and Master League ranks.

“IVs answer whether a catch is worth keeping. They do not tell you how it evolves, what it costs to power up, or what actually beats it,” a PoKeep spokesperson said. “This update keeps the IV check and puts the rest of that species file on the same page, without asking anyone to log into Pokémon GO.”

The calculator is intended as a planning aid. Results are formula-based estimates and may need to be reviewed if Pokémon GO changes species stats, moves, power-up costs, or CP calculations.

Where to access the Pokémon GO IV Calculator

English: https://www.pokeep.com/iv-calculator/

Japanese: https://jp.pokeep.com/iv-calculator/

Traditional Chinese: https://tw.pokeep.com/iv-calculator/

About PoKeep

PoKeep creates guides and lightweight browser-based utilities for Pokémon GO and related mobile experiences. Its tools are designed to make common planning tasks easier without forcing registration when a simple web session is enough.

Media Contact

Official Website: https://www.pokeep.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pokeep.official

X (Twitter): https://x.com/PoKeep_Official

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PoKeep.Software

Discord: https://discord.gg/69G3Zkjj5w