Mississippi ranks among the top ten states for driving fatalities during Christmas and New Year's Eve.
Sean Tindell is the Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. His agency is emphasizing the importance of driving sober during the holidays. Tindell says speed kills like impaired driving does, so it's also important that people give themselves plenty of time to get to their destination.
“If you feel like you're in a rush to get there for Christmas lunch by noon because Uncle Eddie's going to eat all the turkey and drink all the eggnog, you might be going too fast to get there.” Tindell said.
Those who work in the travel industry are encouraging motorists to plan ahead to avoid unneeded stress. Don Redman is the Mississippi spokesperson for the American Automobile Association. He says people need to minimize their risk of ending up stuck on the side of the road by checking things like their car battery, oil levels and tire pressure.
“Don't forget your spare,” Redman said. “Seventy percent of us forget to check out a spare, and nothing is probably more frustrating than to have a flat tire and to take out a spare tire that's deflated.”
Redman's organization projects that nearly 90% of holiday travelers, or more than 107 million people, will be driving to their destinations. So he also encourages any motorists who become stranded to move away from their vehicles if possible. Redman also says it's important for drivers to keep an eye out for stranded drivers and the people giving them roadside assistance.
“Unfortunately, we have a lot of issues of people being hit while stranded on the side of the road and it's totally avoidable if we would just slow down or move over,” Redman said.
Speeding, alcohol or both are involved in more than two-thirds of fatal accidents that occur around Christmas and New Years Eve in Mississippi.
