The Mississippi Highway Patrol began the 2021 Fourth of July Holiday Enforcement Period on Friday, July 2, at 12:01 a.m. and it will conclude Monday, July 5, at midnight.

State Troopers will place emphasis on saturation patrols to combat speeding and reckless driving. Safety checkpoints will be established throughout the period in order to promote seatbelt usage.

“We will step up our enforcement efforts during the upcoming Fourth of July holiday weekend and continue to work with our law enforcement partners across the state,” said Lieutenant Colonel Malachi Sanders, Deputy Director of the Mississippi Highway Patrol. “Our goal is to deter distracted driving, remove impaired drivers, and lower the number of vehicle crashes on our roadways.”

During the Fourth of July holiday period in 2020, MHP investigated 137 crashes with 4 fatalities and made 116 DUI arrests on state and federal highway systems. Due to the increase of summer traffic we are asking motorists to make responsible decisions while traveling and to join with us in making roadways safer in Mississippi.