JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Highway Patrol reported a safe start to 2026, announcing Thursday that no fatalities occurred on state highways during the recent New Year holiday travel period.
The enforcement period, which ran from 6 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31, through midnight Thursday, Jan. 1, saw MHP troopers intensify efforts to ensure road safety. While the number of citations and crashes increased compared to the previous year, officials highlighted the lack of fatal incidents as a significant success.
During the 18-hour window, troopers issued 3,221 total citations, a slight increase from the 3,038 citations recorded during the 2024-2025 holiday period.
Enforcement Breakdown
Troopers focused heavily on impaired driving and passenger safety, resulting in:
34 DUI arrests (up from 27 last year).
427 citations for seatbelt and child restraint violations.
20 motorist assists provided to stranded drivers.
“Zero fatal crashes were investigated over the travel period,” MHP stated in a release, noting that this marks an improvement over the previous year when one person was killed in a holiday crash.
Crash Statistics
MHP investigated 95 total crashes during the period, resulting in 11 injuries. This reflects a rise in overall accidents compared to the 68 crashes reported during the 2024-2025 period.
The increase in enforcement and citations underscores the agency’s “Drive to Survive” initiative, aimed at reducing reckless behavior during high-traffic holidays.
Bob Bakken provides content for DeSoto County News and its social media channels. He is an award-winning broadcaster, along with being a reporter and photographer, and has done sports media relations work with junior and minor league hockey teams. Along with his reports on this website, you will find this veteran media member providing sports updates on Rebel 95.3 FM Radio.
