AUGUSTA, Maine — Average speeds of drivers on Maine roads are edging up, but law enforcement agencies are writing fewer tickets and many of the citations issued are going unpaid, according to law enforcement officials.
“It’s not that we don’t have a speeding problem, because I think a lot of people agree that we have people driving on our roads too fast,” said Penobscot County Sheriff Glenn Ross, president of the Maine Sheriffs Association, in a recent interview. “The Legislature has boosted the levels of fines so that they are considerable for speeding.”
He said many officers are writing warnings because the fines, which include several surcharges added by lawmakers, are difficult for many Mainers to pay, particularly in this lingering recession with tens of thousands out of work.
For example, up to nine miles per hour over the posted speed limit is a $119 fine. Ten dollars of the fine goes to the civil legal services fund, 10 percent goes for government operations, three percent goes to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, five percent goes to the Government Operations Surcharge Fund, one percent goes to the County Jail Prisoner Support and Community Correction Fund and one percent goes to the Maine State Police Computer Crime Unit.
The fines increase steeply for faster speeds, and are bumped even higher for speeding in a school or construction zone. For example, up to 19 mph over the posted speed limit is a $185 fine, but that jumps to $360 in a school or construction zone.
“I believe oftentimes the officer is sympathetic to the working man who can’t afford to pay the ticket and reduces the speed on the ticket or gives a warning,” Ross said. “I think you will find that with a lot of officers.”
Col. Robert Williams, chief of the Maine State Police, agrees. He said there is a speeding problem, with average speeds on the interstate and turnpike increasing whenever patrol efforts are reduced.
“We were seeing speeds of around 78 [mph] to 80 [mph] and when we stopped efforts for six months, that went up to 83 [mph] and every week we have somebody caught way above the limit,” he said recently.
The speed limit on I-95 between Old Town and Houlton was recently increased from 65 mph to 75 mph.
Williams said it is not uncommon to have troopers arrest someone going in excess of 100 mph. For example, one 22-year-old was charged with criminal speeding when clocked at 118 mph on Interstate 95 in Etna. A 48-year-old was arrested for going 101 mph on Route 35 in Standish during the morning commute.
“There is also a real manpower issue, not only for the state police, but for all of law enforcement,” he said. “Traffic enforcement is important, but other law enforcement activity takes precedence and we are being asked to do more and more.”
Williams said federal funds for special speed enforcement details have decreased and that has limited efforts by police across the state. He said it looks like those funds may be cut again this budget.
“I just don’t know what the answer is,” said Caribou Police Chief Mike Gahagan, president of the Maine Chiefs of Police Association. “We agree there is a problem, but we have a lot of crime that we have to deal with that is just more important.”
He said many agencies are overwhelmed by drug-related crimes and domestic violence and do not have the resources they would like to deal with all the enforcement issues facing agencies.
“I don’t have statistics, but I think most officers write more warnings than tickets,” Gahagan said recently. “They know how bad the economy is and how difficult it is to pay a big ticket in this economy.”
Finance Commissioner Sawin Millett said the state has seen declining revenues from fines since the recession hit the state. He said not only are police not writing as many tickets, the courts have had problems collecting what’s due.
“We have had to decrease revenue estimates several times in the last few years,” he said recently.
The state is projecting for the budget year that ended over the weekend that the state would collect $25.7 million in fines and penalties. But, with June to be counted, fines were more than $500,000 below reprojections made earlier this year.
Make enough laws and everybody will be guilty of something. Then, it’s just who do “they” want to get….
its called pick an chose what laws they want to enforce
There’s no real incentive for municipal and county agencies to write speeding tickets anyway. They get all the grief and drama and none of the fine money. Towns should write their own speeding ordinances with lower fines and write tickets under that instead of state law. More reasonable fines and all the money goes to the town, not the state. A total win for the town in every way.
Years ago the court looked at the “most popular” violations and bumped them up so that more money came into the courts. The courts use the fine money to run the court system. The police are not revenue enhancement agents for the state. Our job is to keep the roads safe. So a lot of cops will drop the speed down when they write the ticket or they will give a warning. The police departments loose money on traffic enforcement, they pay for the fuel, officers time, vehicles, radar and overtime if the officer has to go to court for a trial.
A lot of people think the money goes to the department, none does. Stories in the BDN talk about how departments are short officers, when you have less officers to take calls there is less free time for traffic enforcement. I think, no I know that if the fine amounts were lower you would see more ticket written.
A few years back either a county or town wrote their own speeding laws and started issuing their own tickets. State stepped right up and made that illegal, was taking money away from the state.
hows that go… don’t steal the government doesn’t like compatition.
they want to justify their existance, and that’s why county mounties or town cops always stop more people and write more tickets.
I see it all the time in augusta,
instead of investigating real crime, the augusta pd is often sitting on the rotaries, waiting for a citizen to put a foot out of line.
they have an entire division devoted to “traffic enforcement”
State caught me doing 72 in a 50 a few months back on route 9 and he just told me to slow down and sent me on the way. Did I have a valid excuse for running 22 over the limit? Not at all. I was on my way home from Eastport and I just didn’t realize I was going that fast until those pretty blue lights came on.
I got a ticket for doing 46 in a 35 in biddeford. He tagged me right where the zone changed from 35 to 45. Was going to fight the $135 fine but it would have cost me more to miss work. I was sure to ” yes sir” him too. Didn’t matter
And it won’t always matter. I was thanked by a VA state trooper for pulling over and waiting for him to catch up with me. He still wrote me the ticket but he was surprised by my action that I didn’t make him chase me down the interstate.
I had a friend fight such a ticket, as he could see the 45 MPH sign, and the court ruled that he was driving the posted speed limit, as that was the speed sign he could see. Not sure if all courts would see it the same way, but he got off.
It is funny how Germany has no speed limit on ~50% of their “interstate” on top of having almost no patrolling police presence and yet some how it works. I guess the high cost of drivers education and pushing the idea that responsibility is more important than abstaining from certain behaviors works.
But when it comes to the concept that abstinence in any application doesn’t work (sex, alcohol, drugs, etc) and that education and teaching responsibility does, no one seems to care.
On the audo bond they patroles like you can’t ride the passing lane you will get ticketed an if you tailgate you get ticked
Actually in all my time driving on the autobahn I do not think I ever saw a polizei and in all my city driving the amount of polizei I saw patrolling could be counted on one hand. They are a more behind the scenes force that doesn’t need to actively oppress their populace to ensure order.
How do the people drive over there are they better than they are here ive seen on tv a show about that road an people drive real good on that road
have a little faith in people, maybe even teach them a little more before issuing a license.
understand that people are going to be morons_regardless of the laws.
don’t punish the rest of the citizens because of something some idiot_did.
I remember a officer once gave a speeding ticket to somenone going 26 mph in a 25 zone. No it wasn’t me and the officer has since moved out of state.
Veazie used to be known for that.
I can vouch for that. I got nailed on route 2 for going 48 in a 45
I would be a tad pissed if I was stopped for 3 over the posted limit.
Augusta nailed me for 2 over the speed limit about 12 years ago, I made that cop have one of the longest stops of his career after his excuse was my license plate light was too dim, even though I just purchased the car a week ago from the dealership, his main concern was not my speed but the visibility of my license plate light bulb which back then was 99 cents. So I got 99 cent advise for about 30 minutes of his time.
Meanwhile, you and your fellow taxpayers, got to pay for your half hour of dicking the officer around. Way to go, citizen.
No problem, considering I was a resident of said city at the time, I made sure my tax dollars were well deserved for his pay.
Had one tell me a plate light was out, but it was my headlight. Also placed headlight on a report and never mentioned plate light on the report. It’s hard to be honest with someone who lies to you then to the state.
Brewer got me for 38 in a 35. Thing was that I was third in a tight line of traffic,so although the cop lied and stated that I was first in line,it was the lead car who he actually got on the radar. He was willing to testify to that as I took the case to trial. I told him in the hallway of the courthouse that as far as I was concerned he was no better than a common felon for being willing to perjer himself for a lousy speeding ticket. My daughter was also in the car at the time,and she also knew he was lyeing. I thanked him for teaching my daughter that not all cops are good upstanding people.
I almost got a ticket from a Veazie officer last fall until I reminded him he was in Bangor! He tore the ticket up, apologized, but did say to drive slower when I was in Veazie.
Hallowell was famous for that too. I remember my uncle got pulled over about 50 feet past the speed limit 25 sign. That cop lit him up as soon as his nose was past that sign.
If anyone gets a ticket like that they should file a FOA request for the specs and calibration records for the radar equipment.
It may not be accurate to the small of a discrepancy.
I received a ticket for doing 17mph in a 15mph zone, along with 4 other drivers. The very next day, I witnessed this same officer doing 35mph in the 15mph zone. This is perhaps another reason why some officers give warnings instead of tickets. Observe most officers driving and you will notice that they frequently drive faster than the posted limits, whether it be local, county or state police. The same goes for obeying stop signs & traffic lights.
Probably cause the cops have moved onto more important things, like ticketing kids for pot.
So you want to legalize pot.
Yeah, I do..what’s your point?
great, make a lazy population even more lazy.
“Hey man…(ppppphhhhtttt) this is some good stuff, I don’t feel like going to work hahahahaa I need some food”
brilliant.
“great, make a lazy population even more lazy.”
-Typical simple minded stereotype being perpetuated. Thank you for exposing how utterly ignorant you are about marijuana and those who use it. You would be surprised to know how many successful people use it regularly. I don’t expect you to do any research of course, just keep swallowing whatever the anti marijuana crowd puts in your mouth..
-No.. a better idea is to continue prohibition because it has proven to be such a success, not to mention the violence and deaths caused by this failed policy; spend billions of dollars locking up peaceful folks for victimless crimes and continue fighting a losing drug war. That is “brilliant”..
”
I’ve seen it firsthand.
I knew a few people, smart people,
started smoking weed, became lazy, dropped out of school, lived in parents basement and still do.
can’t hold down jobs, just low life pot smoking losers.
“I’ve seen it firsthand. ”
-Oh, I’m sure.
“I knew a few people, smart people,
started smoking weed, became lazy, dropped out of school, lived in parents basement and still do.”
-Sounds like quite a story…made for t.v. even.
“can’t hold down jobs, just low life pot smoking losers.”
-Man..I’m sure before the evil reefer they were productive boys scouts, but that weed got a hold of them and they just couldn’t break away…if someone would just outlaw pot then those folks would be productive members of society….oh wait…
see i told you so the cops werent doing what they were supposed to as far as speeding goes that is why you are getting bigger accidents and more fatals
Ive been saying that for a long time now
source?
statistics?
anyone?
Actually traffic fatalities are DOWN in the US. http://www.fenderbender.com/FenderBender/February-2012/US-traffic-fatalities-down-16-percent/
There really isn’t more fatals than average. Correlation is not causation.
bs.
you just have more idiots_on the roads now than ever before.
how about teaching kids about driving and defensive driving a bit more.
I don’t blame LE when the courts routinely send those with multiple violations back to do it again and driving under suspension…exactly the same.
Cops: Judge Jury and Executioner, all wrapped up in one neat little package. Gotta love it.
A friend of mine got nailed for doing 20+ over in a construction zone in Nebraka and it was only a $65 fine!
Nebraska? I’d forgotten that it even existed…..
Probably because they were only running the risk of hitting a prairie dog.
I don’t give a crap if you can’t write a ticket because you think as an officer that the surcharges etc are making difficult for Mainers to pay. They got a car, they got the insurance, they got it registered, they want to go hauling down the road 20 MPH over the speed limit, give them a fine, that is the whole point of it, make people pay financially and maybe next time they get behind the wheel, they might remember where the speedometer is positioned and how to read a speed limit sign.
Obviously you have NEVER speeded in the past. I know that there are times when i do not have cruise control that that long stretch of I-95 between Gardner and Lewiston i have gotten up towards 80 without even knowing it. It would be nice to see an officer cut you a break sometimes. People are not perfect and they do make errors in judgement. I believe its pretty easy to see those that are basically trying to get somewhere faster by breaking the law and those that might edge above the limit without really knowing it.
Ignorance is no excuse to the law. You got a speedometer, you know how to read signs, put the two together, when you don’t do that, this is how wrecks can happen. You don’t deserve a break for not paying attention
True, but I would take my lumps and pay for 20 over. I think $119 for 9 mph over is crazy, however.
Since most cars have cruise control these days, I just set it so I don’t mess up.
Also, here in Mass, you can’t renew a registration or license if all fines aren’t paid, including parking tickets. That tends to make people watch their P’s and Q’s.
Yes, Massachusetts is a bastion of good driving…
That’s not what I said. I was referring to how people get ticketed here and penalized when they don’t pay up.
Considering the population number, and that it’s the 3rd most densely populated State in the Country, it has FAR fewer auto deaths per capita than Maine
Check the stats. They are better and safer than Maine in most categories.
The good citizens of Massachusetts kill the fewest number of people on their highways for miles driven of ANY State or territory. They are #1. New Hampshire (the only State without an adult seat belt law) is #2. Maine (by contrast) is #36.
I have recieved multiple speeding tickets, for some reason I never remember the position of my foot on the pedal. I have never seen an officer feel bad for me and let me go either.. Wish I had the luck
I got pulled over for doing 52 in a 35, I just passed a speed limit sign that read 35, in fact we were coming toward a school and I did not know if it was in the time frame for this school to be out forcing us to drop to 15, so I was slowing up a little bit and a State Trooper was sure enough doing a speed detail, jumps out in the road and flags me to the shoulder, tells me I was doing 52 in a 35 (school was not officially out) but yet I was doing about 35 when I slowed down from the previous 50MPH zone.
Regretfully I paid the fine, because a friend of mine who is a cop told me I was screwed with the whole “Cop checks off Radar, Radar is never wrong” theory. When I went to court I made sure the judge knew my position, but I still wound up paying because of that checkmark. I was nice to the cop when he pulled me over, gave him what he wanted, he asked why he pulled me over, I told him I was uncertain, he said I was doing 52 and I told him I respectfully disagreed as I just passed the sign coming off from the 50 zone and wanted to be sure my speed was reduced accordingly, his reply “Well you didn’t” and then he went back to his cruiser and gave me a ticket.
Now tell us all (with a straight face) that you NEVER drove over the limit, because you were late, because your children were home unsupervised, or simply because you drifted off. People make mistakes. I have never seen “punishment” limit those mistakes. Actually a person who knows they are speeding probably is more alert (therefore safe) than someone who did it mistakenly.
That’s not the point, it doesn’t matter if I have ever drove over the limit. Everyone does, by law 1 over is all it takes. Nobody can say they never done 1 over. Now back to some relevance here, because you are late, because your children were home unsupervised, or because you drifted off, or decided to text your mom and run a stop sign at the same time is no excuse for other vehicles to be in danger of being wrecked, people getting hit, etc.
Lectures and lack of ticket writing is clearly doing nothing. I still see a ton of people run red lights, stop signs, failing to stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk, not moving when the light is green, pass me from 6 car lengths back as I do the speed limit, etc. A lot of drivers I see are a lot like kids, they are irresponsible, do a lot on purpose and all they get is a “Slow down” from the cop and they continue to do it. If people started paying some steep fines, jeopardize a driving record for certain jobs, maybe, just maybe they will be more alert and less ignorant when they realize how serious driving safely is.
Seeing “a ton of people running red lights could be only one woman in Frenchboro.
…and we have been punishing people since the beginning of time, and crime continues. Maybe we should try something else, then maybe we don’t want to stop crime because it generates money. Just a thought.
If it is one woman or one hundred they should be held accountable for their actions.
Telling her to “stop it” isn’t enough.
When someone is pulled over for say 20 over, and you ask 5 cops how they would handle it, I bet they won’t give the same answer.
I know people who have been on both sides of the system, if everyone was consistent, things might change.
And heaven forbid if you don’t have that seat belt on….to heck with Methlabs etc.
Here are some friendly tips if you do get pulled over.
1. Singal to pull over as soon as the blues come on.
2. Don’t start reaching or moving around franticly as you pull over. Officers do take note of your body language as you are pulling over.
3. Once stopped, roll/lower your window and turn off your vehicle. If at night turn on your interior light before they approach.
4. Keep your hands in plain sight at all times. Best thing to do is interlock your thumbs on top of the steering wheel with your fingers spread. If you have passengers ask them to keep their hands in plain sight, don’t make any sudden movements and to stay silent.
5. Do not hand the officer any sort of ID or document until they ask for it.
6. If you have to reach into your glove box, purse, etc. Make sure you break eye contact with the officer as you do so.
7. Even if you are upset about being stopped always respond with yes sir, no sir. Or say yes/no trooper, deputy, or officer. Showing them some respect goes a long way.
8. DO NOT LIE and I typed that in all capitals because the police are lied to all day long. Honesty goes along way with LE.
9. If you are legally armed by law you do not have to notify but they do appreciate it if you do. Again, you do not have to notifiy them, that is your right but if you have a firearm in the glove box it is best to let them know before you open it.
10. Once again, be honest. Don’t make excuses. Honesty goes a very long way.
11. DO NOT argue with the officer. That is what court is for. No matter how much you might feel the officer is in the wrong, sign the ticket and wait for your day in court.
If you think the above advice doesn’t work, try it the next time you get stopped.
Thanks for the advice. I have always practiced most of those rules, but there are a few that i didnt know about. We would all do well to follow them.
Doesn’t work.
I would add, have registration, ID, and insurance ready before they arrive. That seems to go further…..
Never present documents or ID until you are asked for them.
I think # 8 and #10 are the two most important items in your impromptu list. I was once pulled over going 62mph in a 25mph zone because I was having a fight with my girlfriend and was quite upset. When I got pulled over I told the officer the truth and said I know I shouldn’t have been speeding but I was fighting with my girlfriend and was really ticked off. I was 19 years old at the time and he just told me to slow down, no written warning, no ticket. He said he appreciated my honesty and that I didn’t try to make up some excuse and said he wished more people did so. I will never forget that time, which is why I have been honest whenever pulled over, it really does go a long ways.
I call NO ONE “sir” and if that costs me $160+ so be it!
so say yes or no officer
don’t have to say sir to respect the job
According to this article, the police lie, too! Truth seems to be a problem in America.
good advice Kevin
Cameras, like other states use, that automatically send tickets out and get a percentage of the take. Guaranteed to slow traffic down. People will get the message real quick. Move them around enough so people never know where they will be. No cost to the taxpayer and releases police to do more important tasks.
They are illegal in Maine.
yes, oppress the citizens a little more.
make the country into a police state, where if you step out of line, even for a second, you’re punished.
Can somebody please remind me when Sheriff Ross is due for re-election? I’m having a hard time moving past the Carlson-thing, and I don’t think that’s unreasonable. I’m not especially open to being lectured to by this guy….
I agree. Sheriff Ross is in no position to have his advise or “wisdom” taken seriously.
In the 70’s and 80’s, states spend millions on campaigning for people slowing down with “Speed Kills” There radio and TV ads, posters, key chains, etc… This is still true today, but is apparently just not a precedent.
Actually “speed” by itself never killed anyone.
have you ever seen the movie? i almost died from boredom.
oh, you’re talking about speed in real life… got it.
:)
in the 70’s and 80’s the cars were heavy, with large engines, and few safety features.
now, with the lighter cars, composite materials, 4 cylinder aluminum component engines, anti-lock braking systems, and numerous other safety features, the limits no longer apply
If you have a car that weighs 5000 lbs, with no advanced braking system, it will take substantially longer to come to a stop than a car that weighs 2500 lbs with anti-lock brakes and traction control.
Where i live on rt 1 night after night you could sit on the porch and hear sirens than the thump when they hit the bridge and a flash and they were gone probably speeds of 80 plus in a hurry to go nowhere when other cops have it under control just a bit ridiculous last year i got caught on rt 9 for 78 in a 55 which i was in the wrong she gave me a hard time and wrote me and i have a clean record she got me 2 weeks later for 60 in a 55 let me go with a warning such a joke speeding is speeding gonna write one they should write the other
I can understand complaining about Gas Prices but if you’re an excessive speeder, lay off the pedal and you’ll save a little.
how much exactly do I save? a dollar? how much extra time does it take me?
you know that you’ll waste months of your life by doing so?
just add up all the time spent driving slowly, then equate that out to where you’d be going.
You go to a place to spend your time, to live.
driving slowly isn’t spending time, it’s wasting it. (unless you enjoy it or do it for a living)
The fine amounts have increased so dramatically in the recent past that most Police Officer’s, myself included, just don’t think a $160.00 + fine for speeding is appropriate… These people have families they need to feed, clothe and shelter just like I do. A large speeding fine can very likely lead to a child not eating, and I for one cannot stomach this possibility. Times are hard, if me stopping you, and issuing you a warning puts a stop to the undesired behavior, then as far as I am concerned, the problem has been solved, and adding a huge fine is just adding insult to injury.
I primarily issue warnings for speed, seat belts, etc… Things I will not budge on though are OUI, drug possession, children not properly restrained, operating with a suspended license, etc… Contrary to what allot of people think, we are just plain normal everyday people with an uncommon job. We feel the financial stress of the times as much as anyone, and by in large we have a conscience that dictates common sense and fairness, just like most of you…
I happen to think that if you did your jobs the state would make so much money that eventually there would be a surplus . Breaking the law is breaking the law no matter what the crime. Once the law breakers start paying these high fines perhaps they will learn to drive safely. If you are truely there to ” serve and protect ” then please protect me from the folks who drive to fast as I feel they put my life in danger.
Maybe in your black and white world you missed the part where he said “….if me stopping you, and issueing you a warning puts a STOP to the undisired behavior….”
These law breakers are our us, our neighbors, friends, family..if this officer felt the need to write someone a ticket im sure he would.
Amazing this guy gets attacked for adding common sense his discretion.
Gawd I just love perfect people. You know those folks who do nothing wrong EVER, but keep an eye on the rest o us 24/7
jack-booted thugs crushing the peasants at every turn.
I agree, look how many accidents that have taken lives lately. Most of the were excessive speed.
just to add a bit. everyone and every vehicle is different. a safe high speed for a bugatti is far higher than a 100,000 pound truck. i have seen drivers of each going well above there skill level as well. i think speed limits are good guidelines and should be enforced. I also think there should be more driver education in how to properly handle a car at speeds. a minor over correction at 75 to 80 can have deadly consiquenses.
when you drive above your skill and vehicle and conditions you put everyone on the road with you at risk
don’t be so judgmental, I think the officers are doing a great job. No one is perfect, not even you.
omg! finally a perfect person in the world!
I’d like to meet you sometime, i will become your follower, as you must be the messiah reincarnate!
oh hail the perfect, flawless person!
/sarcasm
Thank you sir, we appreciate that you’re in touch with the citizens you serve and protect.
If they not speeding thhey would not get fined,If they have familys they should think twice of wasting money for speeding, or may be getting killed and leaving there familys with no surport…
What if they’re speeding 10 over so they can get to their job on time after dropping their children off at school trying to make ends meet?
These are hard times, consider that people are stretched thin and you might not know their current circumstances.
I’ve been there.
nearly homeless, working 3 jobs, trying to make ends meet.
I ate ramen noodles and grilled cheese from a toaster and microwave for 3 weeks so that i could save up to pay a speeding ticket,
14 mph over,
almost 200.00
people can’t afford the tickets sometimes.
I have an honest question for you and I don’t know whether you are a State Trooper, County Sheriff, or Local LEO so I don’t know if you can answer it but, the article states: “For example, up to nine miles per hour over the posted speed limit is a $119 fine.” I got pulled over on I-95 in Gray by a State Trooper last month for doing 76 in a 65. I admit I was doing that much. He wrote the ticket for 70 and the fine was $137. Where did the extra $18 come from? Is it different depending on whether it’s the interstate or back roads? Just curious. (And yes, I paid the fine) :-)
I believe that the newspaper is misinformed, the fine amount for 1-9 over the limit is $137.00 last I knew.
Thank you. I figured the BDN had it wrong, it’s not the first time. :-)
You are doing a great job, and thank you for your service. People operating unsafely are obviously your priority, and that’s how it should be. I have to admit, tho, I have a gripe with your brother/sister officers who set up speed traps in places where they cause more trouble than good. They would be the first ones to cite me for creating an unsafe condition, yet they are doing the very same thing.
I for one appreciate a warning, sometimes you go faster than you realize.
too bad they weren’t around Saturday morning going down main street in Presque Isle. It amazes me how many people drive 50 plus down the hill North of Walmart.
what’s the speed limit through there?
If it’s 35, then i don’t think 50 is too bad.
just time to stop being such a whiny slow-poke.
Ho well just something else that Lepage will have to cut somewhere else for there projected revenue. I hope 1000’s of us taxpayers do not live on projected revenue because we can not give out tickets. Maybe they can get some revenue from the turnpike account!!!! Ho that right he stole it. Sorry just a thought.
Daughter recently got picked up doing 21 over the speed limit. Two others ahead of her, and she stated her GPS showed she was going 61, but the cop told her he got her at 66. He never told her how he tagged her, not noted it on the ticket. Also did not check off the infraction box. She states she is going to pay it, but I told her I’d almost fight it just on principle.
tell her to fight it and talk to the D.A. before the court session, usually if it’s her first offense the D.A. will drop the fine a bit.
They sometimes understand that it was a mistake, and that people can’t really afford the high fines especially nowadays.
Speeding is far from the biggest issue. This weekend I had several drivers making right turns on roads posted no right on red cut me off, several people running red lights and people making illegal u-turns and just stupid dangerous moves. I didn’t see any police though.
Here is the problem. It’s called “Design Speed.” That is when the engineers design a road, the speed at which traffic will naturally safely flow. The problem arises when the politicians post a speed limit that is lower than the design speed. If the design speed is 45 and it’s posted at 25 because a selectman’s mother lives on that stretch of road, it’s low hanging fruit for the Boys in Blue. I can’t tell you how many Maine roads have speed limits lower than the design speed.
“I can’t tell you how many Maine roads have speed limits lower than the design speed.” Far too many JSkool101 that’s for sure. Anyone who drives in a lot of other states would quickly realize this.
Seems to me we have two related issues in the paper this morning. With a little imagination, one can find a solution to two problems.
Maine has a shortage of blood.
Maine State police are reluctant to impose large speeding fines on working Mainers.
How about giving a speeding offender the option of donating blood instead of paying a fine on say one ticket every three years? That would not let repeat offenders off the hook, nor would it encourage people to speed. It would link driving behavior to the possibility of needing blood (after an accident) down the road, so to speak.
Maybe some of these cops are also realizing that the speed limits that were set 40-50 years ago were meant for the big heavy cars of yesteryear and that 45 mph isn’t that fast on many rural roads in today’s cars… case in point, my grandfather and I debate this often. The speed limit in front of his rural home is 40 mph. He gets upset when a car goes by going 50 as he feels there is no way that person could stop if a deer jumped out or another car pulled out in front of them, and there is no way that they can make the sharp corners on the road. Now if I were to drive his old 1972 Mercury Montego down that road, I would probably agree that the old boat definitely wouldn’t stop on a dime, and that cornering that thing above 45 mph would probably send the rear end fishtailing. However, drive down that same road in a modern car with power disc brakes and power steering, along with a much more modern suspension for improved handling, and 40 mph feels like you’re barely moving. Those “sharp” corners can be taken at 60+ mph without any nervousness.
To illustrate this point a bit more, I’m an avid motorcyclist. I used to drive sportbikes as I loved the power and nimble handling and stopping power. However, I often found myself going way above the posted speed limits because I knew that I had the handling and braking under me if trouble arose. I since have bought a bigger, heavier cruiser as I wanted to slow myself down a bit and be more comfortable. This bike has a drum brake on the rear, weighs a considerable amount more than the sportbike, and as such does not stop on a dime like my old bike, and isn’t as nimble in handling. As a result, I’ve seen my cruising speeds drop by a great deal because I know if something ends up in the road in front of me, I’m not stopping as quickly.
I don’t think it’s as much a disregard for the law as I feel like these limits were set back in the 60’s when cars were big old boats with manual brakes and manual steering and had old school leaf spring suspensions. I think if cars still drove that way, people would notice speed a lot more than they do today.
Many people are struggling to put food on the table, or even have a place to live.
I’m glad that the ticket count is down, I hope that police understand that people can’t take much more.
and as far as speed edging up, cars nowadays are lighter, have better brake systems, and many more safety features than back when the road speed limits were instituted.
people can stop faster now than ever, especially with anti-lock braking systems.
the 25 mph zones in augusta are a joke, many of them should be 30 or faster.
even the police don’t follow the 25 mph speed limit.
They said they will have more officers out in unmarked cars this weekend. Doesn’t sound like they plan to give out many warnings if your speeding over the holidays.
Yes but the feds are paying for it
What I don’t understand is why cars are made to go 200 or more mph. Cars should not be able to go more than 100 mph and that is still too much because if it will go that fast people are going to go that fast. I have seen what high speed does and it looks like it hurts a LOT and I don’t want to hurt!! Thank-you to all police officers!!
oh lawd! too much! too fast! slow down!
A lot of various interesting comments.Here in New Brunswick the Trans Canada Highway speed limit 65 mph.In most case the RCMP gives you some leeway and dont stop you for speeding unless your
15 mph or more over 65.I can certainly relate to one poster on here who was over the limit without realizing it for its very easy to do for have done it myself a few times,not paying attention and then notice in horror Im going 80-85 on the TCH then quickly slow down and curse at myself to be
more careful.However in the city and small towns I do adhere to the limit,if it says 30 I go 30 or if its 45 I go that speed for city cops or RCMP dont give much leeway then.
There was a time when a fine was characterized as a deterrent, or penalty … something like a penalty for not buying health insurance. But, now that our government has increased the fines and uses the money to fund the operations of government, perhaps SCOTUS would characterize it as a tax.
So now we are being taxed for speeding, it could only get better by taxing us for NOT speeding and dedicate 20% of the fines/taxes collected for subsidizing health insurance for those who can not afford to pay for private, individual health care policies. It would work like this: For all licensed drivers in Maine, if you do not get a speeding ticket during the course of the year, the state issues a $100 fine. Sound familiar?
We are getting a better understanding of how our government works. Thomas Jefferson would not be pleased.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m no “goodie two shoes”, but the three things I find that law enforcement officers should enforce but don’t are: 1) driving in a rainstorm without your headlights on 2) running stop signs 3) not signaling when you are making a turn.
I have watched state troopers, sheriff’s department and local police see these things happening and doing nothing about it. Do they ever stop and think that by stopping these vehicles and giving them a citation or a stern warning that it might save someone’s life in the future? Is your life worth more than just a fine; I know mine is.
According to Mr. Nutting we can’t go around arresting every body if some thing happens thats what we have courts for if someone get hurt
Another reason to love Maine!
I have asked several city councilors in Belfast to do something about the speeding and improper passing on Swan Lake Avenue, but they turn a deaf ear to the problem, they seem to be more concerned with tourists finding over priced art and nick nacks than public safety.
The reason that the city an town police do not write very many tickets because it cost money . How you say well that cop has to go to court an if they don’t the case gets thrown out an beside its an expense for the police dept they make no money off those stops it cost them money