ATLANTA — Drivers across Georgia and four other Southeastern states are being warned to ease off the gas as law enforcement launches the ninth annual Operation Southern Slow Down.
The multi-state initiative is a weeklong speed enforcement campaign aimed at reducing traffic fatalities.
It spans from Georgia, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, and Tennessee, and targets speeders and aggressive drivers on interstates and major highways.
“What we want to do is bring awareness by having this to educate the motoring public that, ‘hey, you need to slow down,’” said Cpt. Maurice Raines, Deputy Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. “Speed does kill. Speeding does not make up time. If you’re late, arrive late. We would rather you arrive alive than not arrive at all.”
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows 349 people were killed in Georgia in 2023 in crashes involving at least one speeding driver.
During last year’s campaign, more than 49,000 citations and warnings were issued across the five states, 12,000 of them in Georgia alone.
Raines emphasized the campaign’s proven impact. “We’ve seen that the fatal crashes have been down for the week of the campaign, so we do know visibility and enforcement does change behavior.”
As enforcement ramps up this week, officials urge all drivers to obey posted speed limits and stay alert.
WSB’s Jonathan O’Brien contributed to this story
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