Operation Southern Shield targets speeding motorists in Alabama, other southern states
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs and Alabama law enforcement agencies are joining their counterparts in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee to remind motorists to follow traffic safety laws, especially posted speed limits, during their summer travels.
The third annual “Operation Southern Shield” campaign runs from July 15-21 and is a partnership of the states in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Region 4. Alabama and Georgia law enforcement agencies will team up for a media event on July 16 at 10 a.m. CST at the Phenix City Amphitheater.
“The goal of this campaign is very simple – saving lives on our roads and highways,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “Follow the posted speed limit, drive sober and avoid distracted driving. These good driving habits keep you and others safe when traveling.”
ADECA administers grant programs that support traffic safety enforcement throughout the year, including the national “Click It or Ticket” and “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaigns. Grants administered by ADECA from NHTSA funds additional traffic safety patrols by state and local law enforcement agencies during heavy travel periods.
The July 16 media event will include speaker Mike Lutzenkirchen, father of the late Philip Lutzenkirchen, former Auburn University football player from 2009-2012. Since his son’s passing in 2014, Mike Lutzenkirchen has served as executive director of the Lutzie 43 Foundation, a nonprofit organization that seeks to reduce the number of distracted and impaired driving accidents.
According to NHTSA, speeding has been a factor in nearly one-third of all traffic deaths in the United States over the last two decades. In 2017, speeding killed 9,717 people, which was about 26 percent of nationwide traffic fatalities that year.
Besides increasing the risk of being killed or seriously injured in a crash, speeding also reduces the effectiveness of seat belts and other safety equipment in your vehicle. This can lead to more severe injuries and increases the stopping distance after the driver perceives a danger.
