St. Johns County drivers should watch their speed this week during Florida’s “Operation Southern Slow Down,” a campaign designed to increase law enforcement presence for those who choose to speed and drive aggressively.
The Florida Department of Transportation, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Florida Highway Patrol and participating local agencies are “targeting driver behavior through heightened enforcement efforts and public safety messaging,” according to an FDOT news release.
In St. Johns County, the Sheriff’s Office and police departments in St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach are participating.
And the vigilance doesn’t end once you cross state lines.
Florida agencies are working in conjunction with their counterpart transportation and law enforcement organizations in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
“Operation Southern Slow Down is a united effort to reduce dangerous driving behaviors that contribute to serious crashes on our roadways,” Florida Highway Patrol Colonel Gary Howze II said in a statement. “Through increased enforcement and proactive education, FHP and our partners are working across state lines to save lives and move closer to our shared vision of zero traffic deaths.”
When does Operation Southern Slowdown happen?
The enforcement mobilization to increase driving safety started July 14 and will run through July 19, according to the campaign’s website.
FLHSMV data found that speeding and aggressive driving behaviors in particular contributed to 437 fatalities, or 13%, of all traffic fatalities in Florida in 2023.
FDOT Safety Tips
To encourage “responsible behaviors” on the road, here are some of FDOT’s safety reminders:
This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: Watch out speeders: St. Johns County agencies join Florida campaign against aggressive driving
Reporting by Lucia Viti, St. Augustine Record / St. Augustine Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
