DAVIE, Fla. (CBS12) — Florida highway officials are joining a multi-state effort this week aimed at slowing drivers down and reducing speed-related crashes.

The Florida Department of Transportation, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Florida Highway Patrol announced the start of “Operation Southern Slow Down”, an annual enforcement and education campaign running July 13 through July 18.

At a news conference Monday, FHP officials stood with transportation and law enforcement partners to urge drivers to obey speed limits, especially during the busy summer travel season.

The campaign includes Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. Officials said troopers and law enforcement agencies across the Southeast will increase enforcement while also reminding drivers that speeding puts everyone on the road at risk.

“Unsafe driver behaviors like speeding are a major contributor to fatalities and serious injuries on our roadways,” FDOT Secretary Jared W. Perdue said in a statement. “Remember that your actions behind the wheel can have life-altering impacts: slow down and drive responsibly to help get everyone to their destinations safely.”

FHP Col. Gary Howze called speeding a “conscious choice” that can cost lives.

“Operation Southern Slowdown brings Florida law enforcement and public safety partners across the Southeast United States together around a shared commitment to safer roads through increased enforcement, direct public outreach, and a unified message that reckless driving will not be tolerated,” Howze said.

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According to the 2024 Florida Traffic Crash Facts report cited by state officials, speeding was a factor in about 6% of traffic fatalities in Florida.

This is the ninth year of Operation Southern Slow Down. Officials said the campaign is part of Florida’s broader Target Zero initiative, which aims to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries to zero.

Transportation leaders from neighboring states also emphasized that speed-related crashes are preventable. Georgia’s highway safety office said more than half of the people killed or seriously hurt in speeding crashes there are not the speeding driver.

Officials are reminding drivers that faster speeds require longer stopping distances and reduce the time drivers have to react. They also said stopping distance quadruples when a vehicle’s speed doubles.

Drivers are urged to stay out of the far-left lane except when passing, slow down before curves, use extra caution in construction and school zones, and always wear a seat belt. Officials also encouraged motorists to plan ahead and leave extra travel time so they are not tempted to speed.

The campaign runs through Saturday.

This year’s operation comes after Florida’s new super speeder law went into effect last July 1. It created tougher criminal penalties for extreme speeding, including driving 50 mph or more over the posted limit or 100 mph or more under conditions covered by the law.