LAKE CITY, Fla. – The Lake City Police Department will join the Florida Highway Patrol and other agencies across Florida and other Southeastern states for a campaign to crack down on speeding and aggressive drivers.
Coordinated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Operation Southern Slowdown” is a multi-jurisdictional week-long campaign to increase awareness of speeding laws.
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Beginning July 15, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina will focus on detecting and citing speeding drivers on major corridors like Interstates 10 and 75, US Highways 90, 41, and 441, and State Roads 100, 47, and 247 in Lake City.
“The Lake City Police Department will be working with our many law enforcement partners to provide safer highways,” Chief Gerald Butler said. “Officers will be on patrol monitoring for dangerous drivers, especially those speeding and driving aggressively, in support of Operation Southern Slowdown.”
Data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shows more than 13,296 crashes in Florida in 2022 involving speeding.
Speeding contributed to 10.5% of all crash fatalities in Florida in the same year.
According to FDOT data, as many as 54,000 vehicles drive through Lake City every day, not including interstate traffic.
Since 2018, Lake City has had five fatalities and 25 serious injuries from speeding crashes.
When motorists make the decision to engage in dangerous speeds on our roadways, they needlessly place themselves and other road users at risk of deadly outcomes. FDOT remains committed to achieving its target of zero fatalities and serious injuries on our roadways, and we are proud to join transportation and law enforcement partners across the state – and our neighboring southern states— in the Operation Southern Slow Down effort. Together, we can help get everyone home safely.
Assistant Secretary and Governor's Representative for Highway Safety, Will N. Watts