Drivers traveling through Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, and South Carolina should expect increased law enforcement patrols next week as the annual Operation Southern Slow Down campaign returns.
The ninth annual speed enforcement and public awareness campaign will run July 13 through July 19, with state and local law enforcement agencies focusing on speeding violations along interstates and major highways throughout the Southeast.
Officials from the highway safety offices in Georgia and Alabama, along with representatives from state law enforcement agencies, will kick off the campaign by highlighting the dangers of speeding and announcing plans for increased enforcement. The Georgia Department of Transportation will also participate, emphasizing the risks speeding poses to highway workers and emergency responders who work along the state’s roads.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 11,288 people were killed in speed-related crashes nationwide in 2024, accounting for nearly 30 percent of all traffic fatalities in the United States.
Young drivers continue to be disproportionately involved in speed-related fatal crashes. Federal data shows that in 2024, 39 percent of male drivers and 20 percent of female drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 who were involved in fatal crashes were speeding.
Across the five participating states—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee—federal crash data indicates that one out of every five traffic deaths between 2020 and 2024 involved speeding.
Last year’s Operation Southern Slow Down campaign resulted in more than 52,000 speeding citations and warnings being issued by state and local law enforcement agencies across the five-state region.
Officials say the goal of the campaign is not simply to issue citations but to encourage drivers to slow down, obey posted speed limits, and help reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities during one of the busiest travel periods of the summer.
Motorists are reminded that increased patrols will be visible throughout the week and are encouraged to buckle up, avoid distractions, and drive at safe speeds.