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Steven Bishop, R-Bucksport, is serving his first term in the Maine House of Representatives. He is a member of the Legislature’s Transportation Committee.
On July 8, I joined Maine State Police for a ride along during a coordinated speed enforcement effort on the Maine Turnpike. Having worked in municipal law enforcement earlier in my career, sitting in a cruiser felt familiar. But what I witnessed made it clear just how dangerous work zone protection has become.
Troopers must estimate safe entry points, weigh the risks of pulling into fast-moving traffic, and carefully plan the stop to protect both workers and motorists. Stopping a reckless driver in a work zone is unpredictable; it can take up to three miles to safely catch them, and every decision made in pursuit carries the potential for human consequences. Speed enforcement in a work zone is a high-risk, high-precision operation.
Many drivers assume a single trooper is assigned to a work zone and won’t leave it, and they behave as though a citation is unlikely. But during the July 8 New England Drive to Save Lives campaign, 16 troopers patrolled the Turnpike, issuing 115 citations and 32 warnings. As GPS apps and word spread that multiple cruisers were coordinating enforcement — not stationed in one location — dangerous speeds dropped noticeably from morning to afternoon. That shift revealed to me something important: When drivers believed there was a greater chance of being stopped, they changed their behavior.
Those observations reinforced conversations we’re having in the Legislature’s Transportation Committee. We are asking an important question: Would stronger consequences — similar to those for reckless driving or aggravated assault — change behavior too? And if a road worker is injured, should Maine law recognize that harm differently? Laws alone cannot eliminate every dangerous decision, but they do shape the choices people make behind the wheel.
I don’t think drivers are lacking information — they’re lacking perspective. In the split second when someone justifies driving a little faster, the people working on the road seem to disappear. Yet every sign in a work zone is telling drivers to slow down: the large orange signs reading “Workers Present,” the flashing lights, the flags, and the rows of barrels. Behind them are real people — Mainers — maintaining the roads we all depend on.
A fast-moving vehicle creates enough force to topple cones, but more importantly, it puts the people who placed them directly in harm’s way. Speeding through a work zone isn’t harmless; it’s a disregard for human safety.
The July 8 ride along reinforced what I also experienced nine months ago when the Transportation Committee toured an active work zone. One lesson surprised me. A foreman shared something I hadn’t considered: contractors are struggling to find workers willing to take these jobs at all. Where multiple bids once arrived for projects, bids have tapered — especially with night work — because fewer people are willing to accept the risk.
If contractors cannot hire, projects slow or stop, costs rise, and Maine’s transportation system suffers. Unsafe driving doesn’t just endanger workers in the moment — it threatens the long-term ability to maintain the infrastructure needs of our state.
I want to thank the Maine State Police for allowing me to witness this effort up close, and for the risks they take every day to keep Maine drivers safe. Their judgment, teamwork, and professionalism protect not only motorists but also the workers who build and maintain our roads.
I also want to recognize the Maine Turnpike Authority for its education campaigns, advocacy, and investments in safety, making a measurable impact. Partnerships like these are essential to changing driver behavior. Because of these efforts, the message about work zone safety on the Turnpike can reach small-town roads and interstates across Maine.
In Maine, that message is personal. Our state often feels like one large, small town. The chances are high that you know someone working these important jobs, or know someone who does.
When a crash happens, the impact doesn’t stop with the people involved. It reaches a family, a school, a workplace, and an entire community. That is what I hope every driver, especially young drivers, understands: the person wearing that safety vest could be connected to you in ways you don’t realize.
Driving the speed limit in a work zone is easy. Doing it protects lives. That choice reflects a value shared by Mainers: our actions should help protect one another. Work zone safety isn’t just about traffic laws or enforcement strategies; it’s about recognizing the shared responsibility we have in a state where communities are deeply connected. When we slow down, we honor the workers and troopers who put their lives on the line for us. Choosing safety is choosing each other.