FORT MYERS, Fla. — Local law enforcement plans to ramp up their presence across Southwest Florida for "Operation Southern Slow Down" along with Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama.
Drivers say the awareness and enforcement is needed.
"Look at the speed limit a little bit more. Maybe they'll get reminded about following the rules," a driver says.
Cars still speed past the roadside memorials that line State Road 82, for people like Jasmine Lamar.
She died in a car accident on May 25, a week after graduating high school.
Florida Highway Patrol wants drivers to slow down everywhere and SR 82 is no different.
"Slow down, be patient and buckle up," FHP Lt. Greg Bueno says.
On Monday, FHP and 15 other local agencies started their week long campaign on speed enforcement and awareness.
"May 25, 2024, right here on SR 82," Lt. Bueno shared that tragic day along with others for the deadly crashes they've seen recently.
Two people including Lamar died that night when a driver went more than 100 miles per hour.
FHP says driving slower can help prevent tragedies like what happened to Lamar.
They say drivers will see more blue lights on the road and cars pulled over from l-75 and SR 82 to anywhere else in Southwest Florida.
They say speeding is an issue all year round, and FHP started a new DUI and aggressive driving unit to keep people safe.
FDOT Safety Administrator Keith Robbins says they have median and traffic signal projects planned to make 82 safer, but at the end of the day, it comes down to who's behind the wheel.
Robbins says, "It's a lack of personal responsibility and accountability. People unfortunately don't care."
He believes with awareness and education they can reach their goal, Target Zero, zero deadly crashes and serious injuries on Southwest Florida roads.
"In 1961, no one thought we could get to the moon, and we did it in less than ten years, so yeah we can do it. If we can do that, we can do this," Robbins says.
Drivers say they agree, "Some awareness and all that is good."
Slowing down to save lives.
