Speeders be warned: 'Obey the sign, or pay the fine'

Larry Hobbs, The Brunswick News, Ga.
·3 min read

Jul. 20—Motorists who feel rushed might want to take a deep breath before getting behind the wheel of the family vehicle.

Those that do just might be saving themselves a bundle of cash.

Glynn County police officers will be handing out citations for excessive speeding this week, and, stresses the police department, officers will be writing tickets, not warnings.

"Obey the sign or pay the fine, that's our motto," said Glynn County Police Sgt. Matthew Dixon, commander of the department's traffic enforcement division.

Locals who plan on traveling out of the county or out of state can expect much of the same during Operation Southern Shield, which kicked off Monday and runs through Sunday in Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina and Alabama.

The regional law enforcement initiative will crack down on speeders throughout the five-state area while raising awareness of the deadly consequences of speeding.

Locally, that means motorists can expect county patrol officers to have their speed radars on and monitoring thoroughfares for drivers with a heavy foot, Dixon said.

"There will be a heightened awareness of excessive speeding this week," Dixon said. "We will be out and we will be issuing tickets. I would not expect a warning if you're exceeding the speed limit."

This is the fifth straight year Operation Southern Shield has taken place during the third week in July, considered the height of summer travel.

Sobering numbers from the Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety only serve to reinforce Dixon's commitment to the operation's objective.

Through June of this year, there have been more than 800 fatalities on Georgia roadways, according to the office of highway safety. Not since 2007 have that many fatalities occurred statewide.

"A lot of these fatal crashes involve a high rate of speed," Dixon said. "And that is what Southern Shield is about — cutting down on the super speeders, the people out there driving at excessive speeds and endangering other motorists."

Locally, fatalities are down this year, although crashes have increased significantly, Dixon said.

There were seven traffic fatalities in Glynn County between Jan. 1 and July 1 of 2020. Traffic accidents during that same time period this year have claimed three lives in the Isles, Dixon said.

There were 696 crashes countywide in the first six months of 2020 compared to 907 in that same time frame this year, reflecting a 30 percent increase.

If you end up paying the price for zipping through traffic on the F.J. Torras Causeway or barreling to the next red light on the Golden Isles Parkway, you will have only yourself to blame, police note.

"We will be out there on the causeway and on all other arterial routes within the county," Dixon said. "And not just the traffic enforcement guys. Our patrol officers are aware that this initiative is going on and they're also going to be pushing it. When you're traveling at excessive speeds, you're putting other motorists in danger."