Florida troopers to flood highways this week in effort to reduce crashes and raise awareness
Florida – The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) and the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) have officially started the eighth annual Operation Southern Slow Down. This is a multi-state effort to stop speeding and encourage safer driving on Florida’s roads.
The campaign started this Monday, and it comes at a very important moment because speeding continues to be one of the main causes of traffic accidents, injuries, and deaths in the state. Florida is joining Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee in stepping up traffic law enforcement and boosting awareness through a mix of increased enforcement and focused public safety messages.
The main point of the campaign is a simple but important one: slow down. A lot of the road deaths in Florida are caused by speeding and driving aggressively. Recent FLHSMV statistics shows that 437 individuals died in collisions caused by speeding in 2023 alone. This is around 13% of all traffic deaths in the state.
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Operation Southern Slow Down wants to improve the unacceptable number by changing both the way people act behind the wheel and the way they think that makes them make poor decisions on the road. This week, FHP troopers and local police will be out in full force, focusing on speed enforcement and reminding drivers of the deadly consequences that come with driving too fast.
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But enforcement is just one aspect of the campaign. Teaching people how to be safer on the road is just as vital. Officials remind drivers to do a few easy things every time they get behind the wheel: wear seat belts, stay sober, turn off their phones, keep a safe distance from the car in front of them, and follow the speed limit, especially in construction zones.
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FL511.com is another site that drivers should use to plan their routes ahead of time and give themselves extra time to get to their destination during busy times. If you see someone driving dangerously or aggressively, you can call FHP (347) or 911 to report it.
Operation Southern Slow Down shows that Florida remains committed to reaching its long-term goal of having no deaths or serious injuries from traffic accidents. The initiative is trying to create a culture of safety, one driver at a time, by combining education, enforcement, and cooperation amongst states.
