Speedsters beware
Operation Slow Down is in effect this week across five states, including Florida.

[Photo courtesy Florida Highway Patrol]
Drivers with a heavy right foot beware: Operation Southern Slow Down 2024, an annual weeklong enforcement and education campaign in five Southeastern states, including Florida, with the goal of reducing and eliminating speed related traffic fatalities and crashes, stared today, July 15.
The Florida campaign is an effort by the Florida Department of Transportation in partnership with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Florida Highway Patrol, according to an FDOT press release.
“Speeding is a significant factor in traffic fatalities across Florida, contributing to nearly 10% of these fatalities statewide between 2019 and 2023. Demographic data reveals that young male drivers are particularly at risk, with 84% of speeding-involved fatalities involving male drivers, predominantly those aged 16-25,” the release stated.
FDOT Secretary Jared W. Perdue spoke of the potentially “life changing” outcomes of excessive speed.
“FDOT is proud to partner with Florida’s law enforcement agencies, as well as our neighboring states, to remind motorists that their actions have real, life-changing consequences and that we all play a role in creating a safer driving environment for everyone,” Perdue stated in the release.
FHP Col. Gary Howze II said the goal is “zero fatalities.”
“Operation Southern Slowdown is a focused, collaborative effort to enforce traffic laws and educate drivers on driving behaviors that lead to fatal crashes, striving to one day experience zero fatalities on our roadways,” he said in the release.
The press release stated, “by informing the public about the risks associated with speeding and the benefits of adhering to speed limits, FDOT aims to foster a culture of safety on Florida’s roads.”
The FDOT press release contained the following list of tips for safe driving:
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