Operation Southern Slow Down is underway in five southeastern states, including here in Tennessee. The operation is an effort to stop the increase of people driving over the speed limit.

The operation that lasts until July 24.

Tennessee Office of Highway Safety says speeding drivers are almost three times more likely to be involved in fatal or serious-injury crashes.

During the speed enforcement and education campaign, state troopers and local law enforcement officers will conduct concentrated enforcement on interstates and state highways in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

This comes after law enforcement agencies reported a substantial increase in vehicles traveling at speeds above 100 miles per hour in the last two years.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and THSO, speed was a factor in 29 percent of total traffic fatalities in the nation in 2020, which was a three percent increase from the previous year.

A THSO spokesperson said over four years, Operation Southern Slow Down reported a 14 percent reduction in speed-related traffic deaths from the week before to the week of the campaign.