The Mississippi Highway Patrol will join with the Tennessee Highway Patrol and Louisiana State Police beginning Wednesday to conduct a “Line to Line” traffic safety initiative along Interstate 55.

The high visibility effort is designed to keep motorists safe during peak travel times leading up to Memorial Day. Troopers in their respective states will be placed statewide along I-55 in order 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 MHP Director Col. Randy Ginn. “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 will begin Friday at 12:01 a.m. and conclude May 31 at midnight. During the 2020 enforcement period, MHP investigated 157 crashes including two fatalities.

Safety checkpoints will be established to detect impaired driving and the enforcement of seatbelt laws. Motorists preparing to travel during the enforcement period are urged to include safe driving as part of their travel plans.