The Independence Day weekend is expected to be a busy one, with as many as 61.4 million Americans taking their celebrations on the road.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol is one of many state and local agencies preparing for the expected surge in holiday travel. MHP officials said its annual travel enforcement period began at midnight Thursday and runs through midnight Sunday.
During the travel enforcement period, additional troopers will be deployed across the state. MHP will conduct high-visibility patrols and establish strategic checkpoints aimed at deterring impaired and unsafe driving.
Lt. Kervin Stewart, director of the MHP Public Affairs Division, said an influx of travelers is always expected during any holiday, but with this year’s Independence Day marking the nation’s semiquincentennial, he expects it to be one of the busiest holiday travel periods MHP has ever seen.
“What you can expect is a stepped-up enforcement, because it is a holiday and it is the 250th anniversary (of America), so we expect lots of people to be on the highways as they travel to and from their destinations,” Stewart said during an appearance on MidDays with Gerard Gibert.
The heightened law enforcement efforts are focused on improving road safety, with a strong emphasis on seat belt use and reducing impaired driving, Stewart explained.
The intensified law enforcement efforts this holiday weekend are all focused on enhancing road safety, with a strong emphasis on promoting proper use of seatbelts and reducing impaired driving, Stewart explained.
“Safety is always first and foremost with us,” he said. “Our focus will be on seatbelt safety, removing DUI drivers from the roadways, and just making sure you get to and from your destination safely.”
During the MHP’s 2025 Independence Day enforcement period, troopers issued more than 4,800 citations, arrested 74 drivers for impaired driving, and investigated 90 crashes that resulted in 34 injuries and one fatality.