With more than 5,000 incidents reported across the state, the Mississippi Highway Patrol saw holiday traffic problems increase this Christmas.

     Troop M, which includes Lincoln County, reported nine incidents of driving under the influence and 27 collisions, with one alcohol-related collision.

     The DUI count notably ticked upward. Last year, 61 DUIs were reported statewide, but, this year, 111 DUIs were reported, said Sgt. Rusty Boyd, public affairs officer for Troop M.

     Following the trend, collisions almost doubled from 110 last year to 211 this year.

     For Troop M, one number did improve, though.

     “We didn’t have any fatalities in our district,” said Boyd. “We’re grateful for that.”

     However, Troop M did report five injuries from collisions.

     Boyd said the increase could stem from a number of factors.

     MHP defined the holiday weekend as running from Friday at 6 p.m. to Tuesday at midnight. That’s one day longer than last year.

     However, Boyd said it’s unlikely the longer time period was the only cause of the increase in incidents.

     A combination of more people traveling and the severe weather could be involved, Boyd said.

     But he declined to state any cause too definitively.

     “It’s hard to give a reason why,” he said. “Sometimes it’s just the way things turn out.”

     Boyd said it can be hard to tell how a holiday weekend will be because of the variety of factors involved. Every holiday can vary from year to year, and no holiday stands out as consistently worse for the highway patrol.

     Now that Christmas has passed, MHP has to turn around and prepare for the long New Year’s weekend.

     Boyd said MHP will increase its presence along high-traffic highways with patrols out for speeding and seatbelt violations. He said there could be up to eight additional men on duty to keep the roads safe.

     Everyone should prepare if they are planning on being out on the road, Boyd said, especially if they are planning on drinking.

     People should be aware of the weather conditions and how that will affect travel. Boyd said early forecasts indicate there could be rain in the area on New Year’s Eve.