Drivers should expect safety checks

By John Howell
Batesville police and Panola County deputies will be conducting traffic safety checkpoints in various locations on city streets and county roads during the Memorial Day weekend, according to Sheriff Dennis Darby and BPD Chief Jimmy McCloud.
“It’s not about giving tickets; it’s about keeping people safe,” McCloud said. “The sad part about it is that we have to write some tickets.”
Officers will be checking for seat belt use, driver’s licences, insurance and impaired drivers at the safety checkpoints.
“If you’re going to drink, stay at home,” McCloud said.
Also, proper use of child restraints, according to Darby. “These child restraint devices are critical,” he said, citing serious injuries to children in recent accidents.
On state roads, the Mississippi Highway Patrol will conduct operation “Drive to Survive” at 6 p.m. today through midnight Monday.
During that period, all available troopers will be assigned to saturation patrols in order to maximize visibility and hopefully caution motorists to be more cautious, according to MHP.
Last year, Mississippi moved up to to 10th place among the 50 states for having the worst drivers, according to CarinsuranceComparison.com. Contributing factors include drunk driving, speeding and careless driving.