NATCHEZ — Local law enforcement will be stepping up patrol and on the lookout for drivers breaking the law during the Memorial Day holiday.

Natchez Police Department Jerry Ford said patrol officers will be on high alert for drunk drivers.

“We will be watching things more closely over this Memorial Day holiday,” Ford said. “Seat belts, along with speeding and drunk driving. People need to be aware of that. If they are going to be drinking, they need to have a designated driver.”

The Vidalia Police Department is participating in the national Click It or Ticket campaign through June 1.

The department is stepping up patrol and will be looking for drivers not wearing their seat belts, Chief Arthur Lewis said.

“So many times you hear of people dying in accidents, and it could have been prevented if they were wearing their seat belts,” he said.

Summertime and holidays means more young drivers will be on the road, Lewis said.

“We hope young people especially understand the importance of a seat belt,” he said.

Vehicle crash fatalities are up nationwide for the first time in five years, according to new data released from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In 2012, 10,335 people who were killed in motor vehicle crashes were not wearing their seat belts.

“We are determined to bring these numbers down,” Lewis said. “There are too many people dying on the roads, and many of those deaths could have been prevented if people took the simple step of wearing their seat belt.”

Lewis said he hopes the public understands VPD is not participating in the Click It or Ticket campaign simply to issue citations.

“We’re trying to save lives, and we hope the public appreciates what it is we’re trying to do and will help us in doing so,” he said.

Mississippi Highway Patrol Troop M Public Affairs Officer Rusty Boyd said state police will also be on the lookout for seat belt violations.

“Local motorists can also expect to see an increase in efforts by the highway patrol to locate impaired drivers on state and federal highways in the state,” Boyd said.

Anyone choosing to celebrate Memorial Day with alcohol should plan ahead to ensure they have a designated driver, Boyd said.

“It is not worth the risk,” he said.