“Operation Southern Slow Down” began this week across several southern states including Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee. This eighth annual campaign aims to educate drivers about the dangers of speeding.
Law enforcement agencies from Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee gathered at the Georgia Visiting Center in Port Wentworth to kick off the initiative. They emphasized the importance of obeying speed limits to reduce fatalities as the summer season concludes. Last year, 99 deaths and 245 serious injuries were reported due to speed-related accidents during the 100 days of summer.
“This campaign underscores how simple actions like using a cell phone or speeding can drastically impact these statistics,” remarked Community Relations Officer Lance Corporal Nick Pye of the SC Highway Patrol.
According to FARS crash data, speeding-related crashes claimed the lives of 1,610 individuals across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee in 2022, up from 1,410 deaths in 2018.
South Carolina has deployed 13 new semi-marked patrol cars in densely populated counties to enhance detection and intervention of reckless drivers. Law enforcement advised drivers to remain patient while navigating busy roads this month.