MHP Troopers Are Gearing Up To Hit The Roads For Holiday Travel

GOLDEN TRIANGLE AREA, Miss. (WCBI) – Thanksgiving is traditionally the most traveled holiday.

That’s why the Mississippi Highway Patrol is gearing up to hit the highways for their holiday enforcement period.

Troopers will kick off the enforcement period Wednesday and will stay out until midnight on Sunday.

Thanksgiving travel and troopers go hand in hand.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol will be out on highly traveled roads and highways, including Highways 82, 45, and 25.

Troopers from Troop G are expecting even more travelers this Thanksgiving holiday.

“You’re going to have a lot of folks that are coming into our area to attend the football game, so you could pile that on top with just your normal Thanksgiving traffic. It’s going to be a lot of people out during the roads during the holiday this year,” says Mississippi Highway Patrol Troop G, Master Sgt. Criss Turnipseed.

You’re also going to think you see more troopers, but Turnipseed says it just appears that way because all of the troopers are concentrated in specific areas.

“We have an academy going right now, that will graduate early spring, to hopefully help us alleviate some of our manpower issues, but the people we use and the resources we have, we will put them at key areas where they can be most effective.”

Turnipseed says the heavier traffic is why troopers put a more intense focus on the holiday enforcement period.

Regardless of the day or season, their job is the same, to keep people safe, and visibility is one of their most important tools.

“They see troopers out there, they’re less likely inclined to drive fast, or you know, look at their phones, or you know, even choose not to wear a seat-belt because they know we’re out there and we’re out there checking, so they pay a little more attention to their activity and what they’re doing and being more careful.”

The holiday enforcement period often comes with an uptick in speeding tickets.

Some people believe going 80 miles per hour versus 70 miles per hour will make a huge difference in travel time, but it really doesn’t.

“You might save anywhere from 15 minutes to half an hour, you know, and that’s one of those questions to me is, if you don’t make it there at all and you don’t even make it to the you know, to your families, or your destination, then what have you really gained by taking a risk.”

Turnipseed urges drivers to pay attention and be considerate of other drivers during the busy traveling period.