The Mississippi Highway Patrol is preparing for stepped up enforcement efforts as holiday travelers drive up traffic on the roads.

     MHP Troop M spokesman Sgt. Rusty Boyd said increased holiday patrols and enforcement will begin 6 p.m. Friday and continue through midnight Dec. 25.

     “We just want to get out there and be prepared for anything that might happen,” Boyd said.

     Increased visibility of law enforcement keeps motorists cautious, Boyd said.

     “If we’re out there being seen, it keeps us in mind while they’re driving and makes them drive safer,” he said.

     MHP will be conducting “line patrols” of certain high traffic and high collision highways. There will also be more officers on the roads.

     “We’ll have units that come in and work on their days off,” Boyd said. “That’s in addition to our normal units.”

     Troop M conducted some inspection checkpoints this previous weekend, though Boyd described these as routine and unrelated to holiday enforcement efforts.

     Troopers were checking tags, stickers, driver’s licenses and so on, he said. These routine checks didn’t yield any elevated DUI arrests or anything else notable, Boyd said

     “We didn’t have anything beyond or above what we normally have,” he said.

     As local residents prepare for weekend travel, Boyd advised caution on the road and preparation ahead of time.

     “Pay attention to your vehicle maintenance,” he said. “We’ve had incidents of accidents because of malfunctions.”