Motorists with car problems on Kansas and Missouri highways could find themselves spending more time on the side of the road waiting for help in the coming months.

That’s one likely side effect as members of the Army Reserves and National Guard are mobilized for possible war with Iraq.

The Kansas Highway Patrol ended 2002 with a shortage of 49 troopers, said Lt. John Eichkorn, a patrol spokesman. And the state’s budget problems mean the patrol won’t be hiring more troopers any time soon.

“We have canceled recruit classes in response to meeting our budget demands,” Eichkorn said.

Seven Kansas troopers are on active military service, and another 22 in the Reserves could be called to active duty, he said.

That represents about 6 percent of the Highway Patrol’s current level of about 450 troopers.

For drivers in need of help, that means longer response time, and for local law enforcement, it means less help.

“We want to provide service quickly,” Eichkorn said. “We don’t want to have people broken down on the side of the road unduly. And we don’t want to put undue stress on our local counterparts.”

The situation isn’t as severe in Missouri, however.

About 15 Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers have been activated, with about 60 more who might be called up, said Lt. Tim Hull, assistant director for public information and education.

The Highway Patrol currently has 921 uniformed officers, of whom 649 work the roads, he said.

However, 56 potential troopers — 11 of whom are in the Guard or Reserves — are being trained in a recruit class now, and testing is under way for a fall class.