Beginning today, the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department is participating in the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign.
The enforcement period will run through Sept. 4 and entail several checkpoints throughout the county, Chief Deputy Shane Tucker said.
The effort was made possible through a federal grant that also helps fund a DUI staff position at the department, he said.
During peak traveling periods, like the upcoming solar eclipse and Labor Day, traffic increases on the highways, along with drunk driving, Tucker said.
Deputies will strictly enforce drunk driving laws during this period, no matter if it’s a person’s first offense or their third, as a way to keep all motorists safe, he said.
“There will be zero tolerance,” Tucker said.
Tucker said it doesn’t matter if the drunk driver is a Pearl River County resident, or someone visiting from another area.
“If you’re on the roadway drunk, you’re a threat,” he said.
The Picayune Police Department will also be participating in the campaign with roadblocks and increased traffic enforcement, Assistant Chief Jeremy Magri said.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sponsors the annual campaign.