Operation Southern Slowdown targets speeding in multiple states

Reporter: Asha Patel Writer: Joey Pellegrino
Published: Updated:
deadly crash
Florida Highway Patrol. CREDIT: WINK News

\Multiple law enforcement agencies from states below the Mason-Dixon Line are joining forces to combat speeding with Operation Southern Slowdown.

It may sound like common sense to slow down, wear your seat belt and be safe on the road, but for some, it’s not. High speeds have been a big problem in Southwest Florida and elsewhere in the southern part of the U.S., where deadly crashes are on the rise.

As part of Operation Southern Slowdown, local law enforcement in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennesse will conduct a weeklong speed enforcement awareness campaign.

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, 245,352 people were injured in car crashes in the state last year. Just in 2023 so far, there have been 1,577 deadly crashes.

Law enforcement wants people to remember: It’s better to be five minutes late than to speed and get into a crash or get a ticket.

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