If you think you’ve noticed more officers on the road lately, you’re not wrong, you might want to think twice before speeding.
Law enforcement across Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, and Tennessee are cracking down on speeders as a part of Operation Southern Slow Down.
In Florida, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Transportation, and local and statewide police departments are behind the annual campaign.
The goal of the operation, which started on July 15, is to bring awareness to how dangerous speeding is and to remind people about the importance of safe driving.
“Make no bones about it, speed kills,” said FDOT spokesman Hampton Ray.
FLHSMV data from 2022 shows more than 13,000 crashes were caused by speeding or driving too fast.
In 2010, our news partners at the Jax Daily Record reported that I-95 in Florida ranked as one of America’s deadliest interstates, and Ray said that’s one of the interstates law enforcement will be patrolling this week.
News4JAX traveled to I-95 and checked vehicle speeds heading south. For the most part, drivers did not surpass more than 70 mph.
Ray said the goal of Operation Southern Slow Down is to encourage safe driving.
“So, this is a week dedicated to high visibility enforcement. So, whenever you’re driving down the road, your inclination, my inclination, even if you’re going the speed limit is to slow down, make sure you’re driving safely and that’s what this is all about,” Ray said.
A good rule of thumb to stay safe is to buckle up and drive the speed limit.