This week, local agencies will be participating in Operation Southern Slow Down, a regional traffic safety campaign focused on reducing speed-related crashes and making Georgia’s roadways safer for all motorists.
Georgia isn’t the only state participating in the operation. Officers in Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, and Tennessee will also be taking part in the traffic enforcement initiative.
During the week, officers will conduct increased traffic enforcement with a focus on speeding and other dangerous driving behaviors. Last year’s operation ended with nearly 53,000 citations and warnings for speeding, 2,230 for reckless driving, and over 3,000 for violating distracted driving laws. Over 1,400 drivers were arrested on DUI charges, including 501 in Georgia.
Operation Southern Slow Down began nine years ago to reduce crashes and save lives. Federal crash data shows that speed was a factor in one out of five fatal traffic crashes in Georgia from 2020 to 2024. A 2023 report by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety found that over half of those killed or seriously injured in multi-vehicle crashes where speed was a factor were not the speeding driver.
