Increased DUI Checkpoints Across Mississippi

While Labor Day means the end of summer fun, it is also one of the country’s deadliest periods for travelers on the road, largely due to an increase in impaired driving crashes and deaths. One person is killed about every 39 minutes in a drunk-driving crash, totaling more than 13,000 lives lost each year.

MHP will be conducting sober checkpoints over the weekendPhoto byMississippi State Trooper's Association

Accordingly the Mississippi Highway Patrol announced its 2024 Labor Day holiday travel period that will run from Friday, August 30 at 6:00 a.m. and conclude on Monday, September 2 at midnight in an effort to to deter speeding and impaired or distracted driving, minimize fatal crashes, and promote seatbelt usage. MHP will conduct high-visibility patrols, as well as increased safety checkpoints during the Labor Day travel period.

“As Labor Day marks the ‘unofficial end of summer,’ the Mississippi Highway Patrol and law enforcement across the state will be working diligently to ensure the safety of you, your family, and your friends across Mississippi! Remember to be responsible and drive safely,” said Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell.

“Looking into the upcoming holiday weekend, safety remains a top priority for us,” said Lt. Colonel James Ivory, assistant chief of MHP. “As you gather with your family and friends, and with the kickoff of college football, our roads are expected to be busy. Let us all make a conscious effort to drive safe, wear your seatbelt, and be smart on this holiday weekend!”

The 2023 Labor Day travel period involved 147 crashes with four fatalities, and the MPH issued 698 citations for occupant restraint violations, and made 141 DUI arrests.