Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee state police partner to tackle holiday traffic safety

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - You can expect to see a new traffic safety initiative on Interstate 55 beginning Wednesday, May 26.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, and the Louisiana State Police will kick off what they call a “Line to Line” traffic safety initiative on Interstate 55.

The hope is to keep drivers safe during peak travel times ahead of Memorial Day.

Troopers in their respective states will be placed statewide on Interstate 55 to reduce the number of crashes, promote seatbelt usage, deter speeding, and remove impaired drivers.

“Our goal with “Line to Line” is to raise driving safety awareness as we approach the Memorial Day holiday travel period. We encourage drivers to remember that their actions behind the wheel have consequences, both good and bad, for themselves and others,” said Colonel Randy Ginn, Director of the Mississippi Highway Patrol. “If everyone will simply slow down, buckle up, put down their phone and avoid driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, we can all have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend.”

The official MHP 2021 Memorial Day enforcement period begins on Friday, May 28 at 12:01 a.m. and ends Monday, May 31 at midnight.

During the 2020 enforcement period, MHP investigated 157 crashes, including two fatalities.

Safety checkpoints will be set up for impaired driving and enforcing seatbelt laws.

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