Warning to would-be speeders: SC troopers are cracking down this week

Speeding is always illegal — but law enforcement will be cracking down on it more than usual this week in South Carolina and beyond. 

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety announced Monday that the Palmetto State is participating in “Operation Southern Slow Down,” an effort to curb speeding involving officers with the Highway Patrol and State Transport Police. The increased enforcement will run through Friday, with a focus on interstates and state highways.

Officers in Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Tennessee will also participate in the effort.

“Our aim is to educate the public on the dangers of speeding and correct reckless behavior before it leads to disaster,” Robert Woods IV, director of the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, said in a press release. “Through a collective, united effort such as this, we are able to focus our resources and drive down the number of speed-related collisions.”

In addition to increased enforcement, the Department of Public Safety is also running a paid media campaign on billboards and social media across the state. According to the press release, speed was a factor in 99 fatal crashes in South Carolina last year between Memorial Day and Labor Day alone. 

The multi-state effort has been in place since 2017 and runs at the same time as a national effort to reduce speeding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.