Highway patrol advises holiday drivers to buckle up and put down the phone

The Mississippi Highway Patrol is cautioning drivers to take extra care during the upcoming holiday weekend.

With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions and the low price of gasoline, MHP is expecting heavy traffic on the state’s highways. Combine that with the likelihood of rain for the next couple of days, and roads could become dangerous.

MHP’s Memorial Day enforcement period starts Friday at 6 p.m. and ends Monday at midnight. The “Drive to Arrive” period puts more manpower on the roads and sets up checkpoints to screen for impaired drivers and ensure folks are using their seatbelts.

Distracted drivers are also a focus for MHP, so put down the cellphones and don’t attempt to text and drive.

In 2019, MHP investigated 148 crashes and one fatality during the Memorial Day weekend.