(Columbia) – The South Carolina Department of Public Safety announced that it will join five Southeastern states for Operation Southern Shield – an effort to reduce speed-related deaths and collisions on the roadways.

The campaign began July 15 and will run through July 23. The states participating include South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee, which comprise the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Region 4.   

Operation Southern Shield, in its second year, is a mobilization effort focusing on proactive enforcement of speeding, along with distracted driving, failure to buckle up, and driving under the influence.  

NHTSA Region 4 developed Operation Southern Shield in 2017. The campaign focuses on the heavy summer travel period when the rate of fatal and injury crashes within the Southeastern United States is higher than any other time of the year.  

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. 

Operation Southern Shield is part of SCDPS’ Target Zero campaign to reduce fatalities and collisions on South Carolina’s roadways.

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, Immigration Enforcement Unit 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. https://scdps.sc.gov