‘Operation Southern Slow Down’ begins Monday in five states
(ATLANTA) – Get the lead out of your feet or risk getting a ticket in the Southeast next week when ‘Operation Southern Slow Down’ returns for a ninth year.
‘Operation Southern Slow Down’ is a speed enforcement and awareness campaign that runs from July 13-19 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. The campaign’s goal is to prevent crashes and save lives by reminding drivers of the dangers of speeding and reckless driving during the middle of the summer travel season.
The campaign will kick off Monday with the highway safety office and state law enforcement agencies from the five participating states outlining the education and enforcement plans for ‘Operation Southern Slow Down’ at simultaneous news conferences in Augusta, Columbus, Ringgold, Savannah and Florida. State and local law enforcement officers in the five states will spend the remainder of the week targeting speeding, aggressive driving and all traffic law violations on interstates and major highways.
More than 490 law enforcement agencies in five states issued 52,990 citations and warnings for speeding during the 2025 ‘Operation Southern Slow Down’ enforcement campaign. The week-long enforcement also resulted in more than 1,440 DUI arrests, 2,230 warnings and citations issued for reckless driving and more than 3,000 citations and warnings issued for violating distracted driving laws in the five southeastern states.
State and local law enforcement in Georgia made more than 13,290 speeding contacts with drivers during the 2025 ‘Operation Southern Slow Down’ campaign. More than 230 law enforcement agencies in Georgia also made 501 DUI arrests and issued more than 1,875 warnings and citations for violating the state’s Hands-free law and issued more than 2,470 citations and warnings for failing to obey Georgia’s seat belt law.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), almost 30% of the nation’s traffic fatalities in 2024 involved speeding. Federal crash data in Georgia showed that speed was a factor in one out of five fatal traffic crashes in the state between 2020 and 2024.
According to a Georgia Traffic Safety Fact Sheet on Speeding in 2023, more than half (53%) of the persons killed or seriously injured in multi-vehicle speed-related crashes in the state in 2023 were not the speeding driver. Crash data from 2023 showed 35% of persons killed or seriously hurt in multi-vehicle speed-related crashes in Georgia were riding in the other vehicle, 16% of the persons killed or seriously hurt in multi-vehicle speed-related crashes in the state in 2023 were passengers in the speeding driver’s vehicle and two percent of persons killed or seriously hurt in multi-vehicle speed-related crashes in Georgia were pedestrians or bicyclists.
“Speed limits are in place to protect everyone traveling on our roads and highways, and enforcement of speeding and all traffic laws has proven to save lives in our region and nation,” said Allen Poole, Director of the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. “The goal for ‘Operation Southern Slow Down’ is not to write tickets but to get more drivers to see that traveling at slower and safer speeds prevents families and friends from losing loved ones in crashes that are preventable.”
“Choosing to speed means choosing to endanger lives,” said THSO Director Buddy Lewis. “High speeds shrink your window to react, increase your chances of crashing, and stop your vehicle’s safety features from protecting you. Help us save lives this summer. The choice is simple: slow down, obey the law, and make it home safe.”
“This collaborative effort with our Southeastern law enforcement partners sends a strong message about the serious consequences of making the reckless choice to speed,” SC Department of Public Safety Director Robert Woods said. “The good news is that South Carolina saw a reduction in speed-related crashes last year compared to 2024. Yet, the reality is that the number of drivers exceeding the speed limit continues to cause injuries and deaths that are entirely preventable. Every driver has a choice: slow down, obey the speed limit, and help save lives.”
“Summer is a time of increased travel on our highways and interstates, and this joint effort will serve as a visible and strong reminder for all motorists to obey traffic safety laws,” said Kenneth Boswell, Director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. “We support our law enforcement officers in Alabama and the Southeast as they work hard to prevent injuries and deaths from automobile crashes.”
“Unsafe driver behaviors like speeding are a major contributor to fatalities and serious injuries on our roadways,” said Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E. “Remember that your actions behind the wheel can have life-altering impacts: slow down and drive responsibly to help get everyone to their destinations safely.”
“Operation Southern Slow Down” began in 2017 when highway safety leaders in the region sought to reduce crashes and save lives by reminding motorists of the danger speeding poses to all roadway users. The campaign now takes place during NHTSA’s “Speeding Slows You Down” education and enforcement campaign that runs from July 6-30. Drivers will see more law enforcement on the road during both campaigns and drivers are reminded to always follow Georgia’s Move Over Law by moving over if safe to do so or slowing down to ten miles below the posted speed limit when passing an authorized emergency vehicle that is parked on the side of the road with emergency lights activated.
NHTSA and Region IV states offer the following tips for those traveling on the same road with speeding drivers:
• Give speeding drivers plenty of space
• If speeding drivers are following too closely, allow them to pass
• Stay out of the far-left lane unless you are passing another vehicle
• Always wear a seat belt
