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Operation Southern Slow Down returning for eighth year during third week of July

By Will Daughtry News Reporter
Posted 8:00PM on Tuesday 9th July 2024 ( 4 months ago )

“Slow down or expect to get a speeding ticket.”

That is the message from state and local law enforcement officers according to a press release from the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS). 

The Operation Southern Slow Down program will be in effect next week from July 15-21, with this being its eighth year.

The states participating are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

“Every state in the Southeast United States is doing this speed event,” GOHS Law Enforcement Services Director Roger Hayes said. “We really need to be careful when we’re driving to Florida, whether we’re driving to Tennessee, South Carolina, or Alabama.”

According to the press release, the participating states will spend the week “conducting concentrated enforcement on interstates and major highways in their respective states.”

The program is run in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in their fourth region. 

According to the 2023 GOHS report, last year’s iteration of the operation resulted in 9,983 speeding contacts.

The NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) says the number of vehicle occupants killed in speed-related crashes increased by 56% between 2018 and 2022.

“Our goal for the week…is to not have to write a single citation,” Hayes said. “Because that means everybody is voluntarily complying and driving at a safe speed.”

NHTSA offers the following safety reminders:

Traveling on the same road with speeding drivers

http://accesswdun.com/article/2024/7/1251844/operation-southern-slow-down-returning-for-eighth-year-during-third-week-of-july

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