“Operation Southern Shield” focuses on drivers speed

July 23, 2020

Chief Terrence Green would like the greater Town of Lexington community to know that the Lexington Police Department’s Traffic Safety Unit, along with law enforcement agencies throughout South Carolina, are participating in “Operation Southern Shield” with an intensified enforcement effort against speeding drivers which highlights the severity of the problem, both locally and across the nation.

During the “Operation Southern Shield” campaign, officers will intensify enforcement of posted speed limits within the Town of Lexington with a focus on roadways where the majority of our speed-related collisions occur. These roadways include Sunset Boulevard/US-378, North Lake Drive/SC-6, Augusta Road/US-1, and Columbia Avenue/US-378.

“Speeding translates to death on our roadways as it greatly reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around another vehicle, a hazardous object, or an unexpected curve.” Said Corporal Grady Johnson of the Traffic Safety Unit. “Speeding places drivers and their passengers at tremendous risk.  We also see where speeding in bad weather conditions dramatically increases the probability that a motorist being involved in a crash.”

In 2019, speeding was a contributing factor in 37 percent of all fatal collisions in South Carolina according to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety.

The “Operation Southern Shield” campaign began on Sunday, July 19, 2020, and will continue through Saturday, July 25, 2020.