NAPLES, Fla. — Operation Southern Slow Down begins Monday to encourage Florida drivers to focus on their speed awareness.
Monday at 10 a.m. Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and other local Florida law enforcement will announce the start of Operation Southern Slow Down at the Fort Myers Florida Highway Patrol Office.
Other states participating in the campaign include Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia.
Jim Alswagger recently drove down to Naples. He said, “It can get hectic, and there are way too many accidents.”
According to FHP, speeding kills an average of 300 people per year in Florida.
Road conditions in Florida vary depending on extreme weather, potholes and construction.
Naples resident Caryn Hackerbuechel said she taught her children how to drive here and she used to tell them, "Part of driving here is being aware of other people.”
She also said she believes Florida has two types of drivers. "We have local drivers that are careful and pay attention to the rules of the road, and then, we have tourists and some elderly people that are not as careful,” Hackerbuechel added.
While Alswagger said he agrees with the purpose of Operation Southern Slowdown, he said, "I’m just not sure how they can enforce it.”
