MHP enforces holiday weekend patrol
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - It is going to be a busy weekend for Mississippi Highway Patrol (MHP). Starting Friday at 6 p.m. troopers will enforce the highways with its weekend holiday patrol.
Triple A estimates 43 million Americans will be on the roads this holiday season and MHP troopers want to ensure drivers get to point A to point B safely.
MHP spokesman Brent Bartfield said, "All available troopers in each district, is going to be assigned a work shift, and we are going to be out enforcing all the laws and responding to accidents."
Bartfield said troopers are not taking the holiday weekend lightly, MHP is even raising fines for texting and driving from $25 to $100.
"We want to encourage drivers if you have to communication while you are behind the wheel of the vehicle, have a passenger do it or use some sort of hands free device" said Bartfield.
Last year MHP investigated 138 crashes with 2 fatalities and 125 DUI arrests. Bartfield added, "If we see safety infractions or any kind of violations we are going to address them."
He encourages all drivers to drive on the right side of the highway to avoid accidents, as most accidents occur on the left side of the highway.
"If you have an intoxicated driver and they get on the highway they are more likely going to be traveling on that left lane" said Bartfield.
The holiday enforcement period ends Monday at midnight.