More cops targeting speeding: Why GA drivers will see more officers on major roads

If Georgia drivers see more cops on the road, it’s because there is an increased presence of law enforcement on Georgia roadways starting Monday, according to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

Georgia State Patrol will issue more speeding tickets than usual on interstates and major highways from Monday through July 21, according to a news release from Robert Hydrick, communications director of the GOHS.

State troopers are participating in “Operation Southern Slow Down,” an annual initiative that “(targets) speeding and aggressive driving during week-long enforcement and awareness campaign,” Hydrick said.

The efforts will help investigate how speeding impacts deadly crashes.

Four other states will also participate in the enforcement measures: Alabama, Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Ninety-one percent of fatal speed-related crashes happened on non-interstate highways in 2022 in these states, according to the most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System.

These crashes increased by 14% from 2018 to 2022, according to FARS.

Vehicle passenger deaths increased by about 25% from 2018 to 2022, the data shows.