HOLT, Fla., July 14, 2025—The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is participating in a Florida-wide focus on speedy drivers this week that runs through Saturday.

Labeled Operation Southern Slow Down, this annual safety mobilization is conducted in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the southeastern states of Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.

This initiative builds on a longstanding tradition of collaboration and aims to reduce speed-related fatalities and serious injury crashes by targeting speeding and aggressive driving violations, according to the campaign website.

During this time, law enforcement will be looking for aggressive driving and speeding in an effort to draw attention and remind drivers about risks associated with driving over the speed limit.

According to OCSO, crashes tend to increase across the state during the summer months. Aggressive driving and speeding put everyone at risk and contribute to a significant number of serious crashes and fatalities.

According to statistics, crashes, fatalities and serious injuries involving speeding and aggressive driving are most likely to occur on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A high rate of crashes involving speeding and aggressive driving begins around noon and peaks at 5 p.m. before declining during the overnight hours. Additionally, drivers between the ages of 15-34 are overwhelmingly more likely to be involved in crashes and are fatally or seriously injured than any other age group.

Despite being a major tourist destination, more than 90 percent of all crashes, fatalities and serious injuries in Florida involve residents, according to nationwide statistics.