A sea of flashing lights on a Georgia interstate. State troopers pulled over on the shoulder, measuring speed with radar guns while traffic blurs by at 90. It’s not just a warning, it’s a crackdown.
Operation Southern Slow Down is back. And this year, the stakes are even higher.
🚦 Why It Matters: Speeding is killing more people than ever. In Georgia, 349 people died in speed-related crashes last year—a 35% jump from 2019. Across the five participating states, the death toll reached 1,604.
These aren’t just numbers. They’re stories cut short because someone couldn’t wait.
👮 What’s Happening: From July 14 to 20, law enforcement across Georgia, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, and Tennessee will be coordinating an aggressive effort to curb speeding. Florida’s campaign ends on the 19th.
- In 2024, Georgia troopers issued over 62,000 citations and warnings during the operation. Nearly 80% were for speeding.
- DUI arrests hit 446. Another 1,200 warnings were issued for distracted driving.
🎯 Between The Lines: More young drivers and motorcyclists dying due to speeding. In Georgia, 37% of male drivers aged 15–20 killed in crashes had been speeding. For motorcyclists aged 21–24, the number is even worse: more than half were speeding when they died.
🚨 Catch Up Quick: Nationally, speed-related deaths jumped 22% between 2019 and 2023. In the Southeast, most of these crashes aren’t happening on interstates—they’re happening on everyday roads.
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Before You Dismiss This Article…
We live in a time when information feels overwhelming, but here’s what hasn’t changed: facts exist whether they comfort us or not.
When A&W launched their third-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder in the 1980s, it failed spectacularly. Not because it tasted worse, but because customers thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If basic math can trip us up, imagine how easily we can misread complex news.
The press isn’t against you when it reports something you don’t want to hear. Reporters are thermometers, not the fever itself. They’re telling you what verified sources are saying, not taking sides. Good reporting should challenge you — that’s literally the job.
Next time a story makes you angry, pause. Ask yourself: What evidence backs this up? Am I reacting with my brain or my gut? What would actually change my mind? And most importantly, am I assuming bias just because the story doesn’t match what I hoped to hear.
Smart readers choose verified information over their own comfort zone.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
