MEDIA: Photos from today's press conference can be found in the SCDPS online photo album here. 

COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) joins four other Southeastern states for Operation Southern Slow Down this week to crack down on excessive speeding and reduce speed-related collisions.

Law enforcement and highway safety officials from Georgia and South Carolina held joint press conferences on Monday, July 14, in Augusta and Savannah, Georgia to announce the annual enforcement and education campaign, which will run from July 14-20. Other states participating in the weeklong operation include Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee. 

 During this period, troopers and officers with each agency will concentrate enforcement efforts on interstates and state highways to focus on reducing the number of drivers traveling at speeds dangerously above the legal limit. Motorists in South Carolina can expect to see increased presence and enforcement from the SC Highway Patrol and the SC State Transport Police along the state’s major interstates from July 14-20.

“We look forward to working alongside our law enforcement counterparts across the Southeast to address the unnecessary choice to speed excessively,” said Robert G. Woods IV, Director of the South Carolina Department of Public Safety. “This reckless decision behind the wheel is one of the top contributing factors for collisions in South Carolina. It is unnecessary, dangerous, and not worth the risk. Through a collective, united effort such as this, we are able to focus our resources with a strong goal of driving down the number of speed-related collisions and fatalities.” 

In 2024, there were 37,043 speed-related collisions in South Carolina, which is 3,140 fewer collisions than the previous year. Of those collisions in 2024, there were 372 people killed. 

Nationally, speeding killed 11,775 people in 2023, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). National data also shows that speeding was a contributing factor in nearly one out of every three fatal collisions.

Operation Southern Slow Down began in 2017 and now runs concurrent with NHTSA’s Speeding Slows You Down national awareness and enforcement campaign.

Ahead of the Operation Southern Slow Down campaign, SCDPS began deploying several new speed trailers in road construction areas across the state that flash blue lights and display special instructions when excessive speeds are detected. Motorists should note that these devices do not have camera technology to capture images or license plates, and they cannot be used to issue tickets for speeding. The agency plans to have 25 of these speed trailers up and running in SCDOT road construction zones across the state by the end of July. The speed trailers are possible due to a partnership with the SC Department of Transportation. 

In addition to enforcement, SCDPS will run the Speeding Catches Up With You paid media campaign throughout the month on billboards around the state. The agency’s new public service announcement, which is part of the paid media campaign, started on July 7 and can be seen on gas station TV’s and all DPS social platforms for the rest of the month. You can view the Speeding Catches Up with You PSA here.   

NHTSA offers the following safety reminders: 

• The necessary stopping distance quadruples every time a driver doubles their speed.
• Allow more stopping time for bigger vehicles, or when traveling downhill on wet or uneven pavement.  
• Apply the brakes before entering a curve.
• Set a good example for young drivers by driving at the speed limit.
• If speeding drivers are following too closely, allow them to pass.  
• Always wear a seat belt.

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety includes the Highway Patrol, State Transport Police, Bureau of Protective Services, Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame. Our mission is to ensure public safety by protecting and serving the people of South Carolina and its visitors.