The Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department will be participating in the nationwide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” Labor Day enforcement campaign from Aug. 17 through Sept. 3.

The nationwide campaign against drunk driving is sponsored by the Mississippi Office of Highway Safety and funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Lt. Joe Quave said.

During the enforcement period, Pearl River County residents will see increased patrol efforts and safety checkpoints in an attempt to deter drunk driving.

Any overtime incurred by the additional man-hours will be reimbursed through the federal grant, he said.

According to a report from the National Safety Council, in 2017 a total of 40,100 vehicle related deaths nationwide occurred as a result of collisions, previous coverage states.

In Mississippi some of the leading causes of those collisions include alcohol, fatigue, inexperienced drivers, distractions and excessive speed, the coverage states.

Safety checkpoints will allow deputies to remove impaired drivers from the roads and check for equipment violations.

In an effort to ensure everyone has a safe holiday, representatives with the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department would like to remind those planning to drink to find a designated driver, he said.

Poplarville Police Chief Butch Raby said his department will not be participating in the campaign but would like to encourage people to drive safe and wear seatbelts while in a vehicle.

Mississippi Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Chase Elkins said although the department will not be participating in the campaign, troopers will be patroling during the Labor Day weekend and be pulling over suspected drunk drivers to ensure the roads are safe.

Picayune Police Chief Bryan Dawsey said that his department participates in the campaign yearly to ensure everyone has a safe Labor Day weekend.

His department’s participation during the weekend will involve additional officers on patrol, working checkpoints to identify impaired drivers and looking for seatbelt and other traffic violations.