Almost every morning the Press Herald reports one or more deaths on Maine roads, mostly because of excessive speed and/or alcohol.
We have all experienced a line of vehicles, including oversize tractor trailers, being driven through Portland and through construction zones at 20-30 miles and or more above the posted speed limits.
My father, as a lifelong state trooper, clearly understood the dangers that every law enforcement officer faces when approaching a vehicle from behind and risking their lives to personally deliver a speeding ticket.
Section 2117 of the Maine Statutes prohibits the use of traffic surveillance cameras. The Maine Turnpike Authority is able to read every license plate that passes through its toll booths and mail the vehicle owner a bill for a few dollars. Yet it is prohibited from mailing a summons or ticket for excessive speeds while driving through.
There are over 100,000 stationary speed cameras in use around the world, with almost 70,000 in Europe alone. They are in use in 22 states currently.
When will the state of Maine prioritize the safety of our law enforcement officers and its citizens to reduce the needless traffic deaths occurring daily on our roadways? It is time we repeal Section 2117.
Kenneth Stafford
Cumberland Foreside
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