TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) -- Sunday afternoon in Tupelo, traffic had slowed down a bit in most areas.
But apparently Sunday's traffic was just a break in the action from what we've seen, starting in earnest on the so-called Black Friday.
For some drivers, getting from place to place this holiday season will be a chore.
"It's all right now, but it kind of thickening up a little bit there," said Roscoe Taylor of Baldwyn.
"The traffic's really bad this year and if everybody would just be patient and not get in a big hurry, I think things would flow a lot better," replied another driver, Jennifer Parker of Nettleton.
"I work down here and I see it all the time. It gets crazy about this time every year," said Roscoe Taylor's wife Katherine.
Law enforcement officials agree, saying when traffic seems to get out of hand, it's time to slow down and watch what's going on around you.
"It is. I mean, you've really got to be smart. You've got to kind of watch the other fellow. Like we've always told folks, just drive courteously," said Lt. Marty Mask of the Tupelo Police Department. "Just be patient. Pick the time that you do come out and shop. Anytime you have a large concentration of traffic, you're going to have congestion. You need to expect delays because the traffic just can't move like it normally would."
Mask said now that the holiday season is in full swing, there are a few traffic safety tips that you'll want to remember as the traffic is likely to get worse before it gets better.
He says when in traffic, always stop far enough so that you can see the back tires of the vehicle in front of you.
Limit cell phone use, too.
Misuse of the turn lane has been a common problem and caused its fair share of accidents.
Mask said the next few weeks will be congested and there's not much that can be done.
Even officers themselves have a hard time getting around.
And what about parking lots?
"On a parking lot wreck, remember that those [lots] are private property. What's going to happen of those is we're going to give each person a form, you'll fill the form out, and then exchange it and take it back to your insurance company," Mask said.
The bottom line, he says, is watch out while hunting those Christmas bargains.
