Motorists planning to travel during the Fourth of July holidayshould budget a little extra time and pay special attention to theroad, Mississippi Highway Patrol officials said.

The official holiday period will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday andwill run through midnight on Sunday.

“There’ll be a lot of traffic, but we’ll be out in force,working double shifts all weekend with callbacks and the regularline patrols and radar details,” said MHP Troop M Public AffairsOfficer Sgt. Rusty Boyd.

Boyd said through a program that allows troopers to work ontheir days off for overtime pay, units will be on radar details aswell as having drivers license checkpoints at random locations.Boyd said such precautions help keep drivers safe, sober and goinghome alive.

“According to last year’s stats, we didn’t have but one fatalitystatewide,” he said. “Hopefully this year, we’ll expect better,maybe we won’t have any. We’ll be out looking for impaired driversand will be stopping any suspicious activities that may lead to animpaired driver.”

Meanwhile, Boyd said, drivers need to keep in mind that allpassengers, but especially children, should be buckled up.

“Remember the law has changed in the last couple of years,children under the age of 7 have to be in a booster seat unlessthey meet size and weight requirements,” he said.

In addition, drivers need to remember that it’s not how fastthey get somewhere, but that they get there that matters.

“Keep an eye out and pay attention to what you’re doing at thetime,” he said. “Don’t worry about where you’re going until you getthere. Keep your mind on your driving.”