The motto of the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol's is "Courtesy, Service, and Safety." The agency, first formed in 1938, enforces traffic laws on the state's roads. Its mission is to:

• Encourage and promote safe driving

• Enforce our laws in a courteous, fair, and impartial way

• Support and aide other law enforcement and criminal justice agencies

• Promote a positive opinion of law enforcement by action and example

There are nine patrol districts within the state, covering more than 48,000 square miles, and protecting more than 2.5 million residents.

In 1966, the National Highway Safety Act was passed by Congress to coordinate safety on this country's highways. This Act allowed for federal funds to be passed along to each state to help with safety measures. The Act also made it the responsibility of each state's governor to oversee the highway safety program. Through this Act, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was born.

Mississippi's governor appoints an executive director of the Division of Public Safety Planning, who administers the federal funds and coordinates various initiatives involving the Office of Highway Safety (OHS).

The objectives of the Highway Safety Program include:

• Developing programs to help reduce traffic fatalities and accidents

• Increasing public awareness of the cause of accidents and promoting cooperation with the general public

The OHS also administers funds for school programs such as No Child Left Behind, the 21st Century Schools program, and the Title IV Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities efforts.

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