The total number of deaths on Maine roads may have dropped last year for drivers, but it did not for pedestrians. Twenty-one pedestrians died on Maine roads, and another 238 injury crashes were reported. We have seen similar numbers of injuries and fatalities the past several years, with a slight dip in 2020 when fewer people were driving. These fatalities and injuries, depicted as mere numbers, conceal the tragic, life-changing nature of these incidents: families shattered, permanent disability, massive health care bills.

These incidents happened all across Maine, in rural and urban communities, during the day and at night, but the common thread is that nearly every single incident was caused by a driver in a passenger vehicle. Yes, we need to address the behavior of the road users through messaging and education, but we also need to design the physical structure of our communities to better prioritize safety for everyone, especially vulnerable road users.

I appreciate the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety’s comments that they will do more messaging campaigns to educate drivers, but that isn’t enough. We need to stop designing our roads to move vehicles quickly and start designing them to move people – especially those not in cars – safely and efficiently. We invite you join the Bicycle Coalition of Maine in our mission to make Maine better and safer for people biking and walking.

Jean Sideris
Executive director, Bicycle Coalition of Maine
Portland

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