Operation Southern Slow Down is returning to the southeast next week.
The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) announced on Tuesday that the ninth year of the regional speed enforcement and awareness campaign will begin on July 14 and will last until July 20.
The states the operation will take place in are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.
In the state of Georgia last year, personnel handed out 12,544 citations and warnings during the operation. 8,900 citations and warnings were for speeding.
446 people were arrested for driving under the influence during the week in 2024 in Georgia as well.
“Speeding threatens the lives of everyone on the road and that is why Georgia and our neighbors are sending the message that illegal and dangerous driving behaviors will not be tolerated,” Director of the Georgia GOHS Allen Poole said. “The goal of ‘Operation Southern Slow Down’ is to not write tickets but for motorists to put safety first by choosing to drive at slower and safer speeds.”
Although speeding-related fatalities decreased slightly from 2022 by 3%, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 28% of fatal crashes were speeding-related in 2023.
NHTSA offered the following tips for those traveling with speeding drivers:
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Give speeding drivers plenty of space
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If speeding drivers are following too closely, allow them to pass
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Stay out of the far-left lane unless it is passing another vehicle
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Always wear a seat belt
Drivers will see a heavier law enforcement presence on the road during the week of the program that began in 2017.
