Published: 7/12/2022 - ARK - THP


DRIVERS WHO FEEL THE NEED FOR SPEED BETTER HIT THE BRAKES OR BE READY TO SEE BLUE LIGHTS IN THEIR REAR-VIEW MIRROR DURING OPERATION SOUTHERN SLOW DOWN. FROM JULY 18 – 24, THIS SPEED ENFORCEMENT AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGN, FORMERLY CALLED OPERATION SOUTHERN SHIELD, RETURNS IN FIVE SOUTHEASTERN STATES: ALABAMA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, AND TENNESSEE. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN THE SOUTHEAST AND ACROSS THE NATION HAVE SEEN A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES TRAVELING AT SPEEDS ABOVE 100 MILES PER HOUR IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. SPEEDING DRIVERS ARE ALMOST THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE INVOLVED IN FATAL OR SERIOUS-INJURY CRASHES. ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA), THE UNITED STATES HAS SEEN AN INCREASE IN OVERALL TRAFFIC FATALITIES AND SPEED-RELATED TRAFFIC DEATHS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. STATE TROOPERS AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WILL CONDUCT CONCENTRATED ENFORCEMENT ON INTERSTATES HERE IN TENNESSEE AS PART OF THE TEAM EFFORT TO STOP THE INCREASE IN DRIVERS TRAVELING AT SPEEDS WELL ABOVE THE LEGAL LIMIT.