Highway Patrol ‘Home for the Holidays’ initiative encourages sober driving

The Mississippi Highway Patrol has added officers to ensure safety on the state’s highways during the Christmas holiday.

In addition, the MHP “Home for the Holidays” awareness initiative encourages motorists to drive sober or find alternative transportation.

A special Christmas enforcement period began at midnight last night and will continue through Wednesday, Dec. 25 at midnight, WJTV reports. Mississippi drivers can expect to see safety checkpoints for child restraints and seat-belt law enforcement, in addition to extra patrols on the roads checking for impaired drivers.

Last year, MHP investigated 203 accidents and two people died on the highways during the Christmas holidays.

“Home for the Holidays” will continue through Dec. 31.