KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville Police Department, along with Tennessee, has joined the Tennessee Highway Safety Office for "Operation Southern Slow Down." Officials made the announcement Monday morning.
This operation is a multi-state compilation to crack down on speeding from July 15 to July 19.
The purpose of the eighth annual traffic safety campaign is to increase speed enforcement on major highways and high-risk locations during a travel period when the rate of fatal crashes is highest throughout the Southeast, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security said.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), the number of fatal speed-related crashes in the five NHTSA Region 4 states increased by 14% over a five-year period, from 2018 to 2022.
The five NHTSA Region 4 states include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.
According to KPD, 25 people have died in traffic crashes in Knoxville so far in 2024. Forty-five people died in traffic crashes in all of 2023.
"Public and roadway safety are a shared responsibility, and you can help make the roads safer," KPD said.
Officials want to remind you that when you get behind a wheel, always buckle up, pay attention to the road and slow down.
Other law enforcement agencies involved in the operation includes the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, Loudon County Sheriff’s Office, Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and White Pine Police Department.
