Operation Southern Shield began Monday and will run through July 23. Participating states, comprised by the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTA) as Region 4, include South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Tennessee.
This campaign is designed to be a proactive enforcement of speeding, distracted driving behaviors, failure to buckle up and driving under the influence.
This campaign originated in 2017 and focuses on the heavy summer travel period when the rate of fatal injury crashes is at its peak.
In 2017, there were 45,156 speed-related collisions on South Carolina roadways, and nearly 38 percent of all fatal roadway collisions in South Carolina were speed-related.
During the 2017 week of enforcement (July 17-23) 16 people died on South Carolina roads, compared to 21 during a comparable week in 2016. There was also a reduction in speed-related fatalities, from nine to six, during the same period.
So far this year, 507 people have died on South Carolina roads, compared to 556 last year.
South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCHP) will join Georgia State Patrol (GSP) at a press event for Operation Southern Shield at 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 19, at the Georgia I-95 Welcome Center in Savannah to educate the public about the effort.
In addition to the press event, SCDPS has produced a new radio PSA, focusing on speed enforcement to air on both over-the-air and streaming radio stations, along with paid social media, featuring the campaign’s tagline, “Arrive Alive.” The “Arrive Alive. Don’t Speed.” message will also be displayed on SCDOT message boards throughout the state. All messaging will run through July 23.
