As part of the speed reduction awareness and high-visibility enforcement campaign, the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety is calling on all drivers to recognize speeding as an aggressive driving behavior that endangers all road users.

Communities across America are affected every year by fatalities that occur in speeding-related crashes. In 2023, there were 43 traffic fatalities that involved speeding in Maine. That number of fatalities represented a drop from 2022, in which 53 speeding-related fatalities occurred. Young drivers and motorcyclists have a higher chance of being involved in speeding-related crashes. In 2023, twenty three percent involved in fatal traffic crashes were in the 15- to 20-year-old age group and were speeding. Nineteen percent of all motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes in 2023 were speeding; 88% were male drivers and 12% were female drivers.

Between July 7 and the 31st, from Aroostook County to York County, more than 20 law enforcement agencies will continue to conduct high visibility speed enforcement to save lives and reduce speeding and aggressive driving. Law enforcement will be out reminding drivers to slow down and drive with care. Drivers should plan to leave sooner to allow more time to arrive, without rushing.

“We’re all sharing the road with one another; whether you’re driving in a vehicle, riding as a passenger, a motorcyclist, bicyclist, or pedestrian, we need to be mindful that we’re all sharing the roadway and want to arrive at our destination safely," said Lauren Stewart, Highway Safety Director.

“Speed limits are set to keep all road users safe,” says Deputy Chief Brady Smith of the Presque Isle Police Department. “They really limit the likelihood of crashes and drastically improve the likelihood of surviving a crash. The force of a crash’s impact on a person’s body, which dramatically increases with each additional 10 miles per hour of speed, can be managed, controlled and most likely survived when posted speed limits are followed. When a motorist drives above the speed limit, they aren’t thinking about the lives of others on the road or theirown. That’s true no matter the reasoning why a motorist chooses to drive over the speed limit."

Speeding is an aggressive and deadly behavior. It reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around another vehicle, pedestrian, hazardous objects, or an unexpected curve. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), local roads are more dangerous than highways for speeders. It's a common misconception that speeding is an interstate-related issue: In fact, in 2023, 88% of all speeding-related traffic fatalities in the United States occurred on routes other than interstates.

“A speeding-related crash can easily result in devastating injury or a fatality, because of the intense impact on the body,” said Sheriff Bill King. “Speed limits are designed for each road and minimize the likelihood of crashes. Drivers in rural areas of York County should be especially aware of this campaign and their speed. With summer visitors, the number of vehicles on our roadways increases because the populations of our communities double and some triple during the summer months."

Sheriff King says, "We want everybody to enjoy Maine in the summer and with the increased traffic, all motorists need to be especially careful - slowing down is the right choice!"

The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety is urging and reminding drivers to slow down, and drive with care this month. Spend your time on the way to your destination, taking in the beauty of vacationland, not speeding by it. From the lighthouses across Maine’s coastline, Acadia National Park, the lakes and mountains regions, to the rural landscapes in the county, slow down, and safely enjoy your drive.