What are the top traffic violations that cause traffic crashes? According to the Department of Safety/Maine State Police web page on www.maine.gov, speeding is one of the top three violations causing traffic crashes (along with failing to yield right-of-way and following too close). 

To quote the web page further, speeding is “Traveling in excess of the posted speed limit, or driving at any speed that is unsafe, based on the conditions present — rain, fog, snow and other conditions that may dictate that even the posted speed limit is not safe.”

So spring and sunny days (a few, anyways) are here and the snow and ice are gone. Motorists seem to step up their speed a bit because the visibility and the ability to keep the vehicle on the road are better. However, the faster you go, the harder it is to stop at a safe distance. Not everyone “speeds,” so coming up on a driver doing the speed limit while you’re speeding, there may not be enough time to stop to avoid a collision. And as we know in our region of the state, our visitors – they’re coming back — are not always familiar with our roads and sometimes stop in the middle of the road to either gawk at the scenery or try to decide whether or not they are lost.

Also, traveling at high rates of speed can cause you to lose control of your vehicle. Remember, kids are using their bikes now, people are out walking or jogging along the roads and there are more vehicles (including the sometimes-hard-to-see motorcycles) on the road now that spring has arrived.

So, slow down and drive to arrive – and keep everyone alive.

Happy Mother’s Day to all our mothers out there on Sunday, May 14. Mothers are very special. After losing my mother to cancer almost 13 years ago now, I’ve made it a point to tell all my friends who still have their mothers to enjoy them every day because you never know what is going to happen from one day to the next. Enjoy your day, Moms, and kids — show her you love her.

Speaking of kids — this is for you high schoolers — it’s graduation time and despite what your elders have done in the past, don’t fall to the temptation of partying to celebrate either your graduation or the end of the school year. It’s not worth it to lose your life, or kill someone else, in a car accident because of partying. I can tell you this because I lived through some stupid stunts during my teenage years but I consider myself lucky – very lucky — to be alive. Be safe. Call your parents. They’ll be glad you did. And take any punishment for partying like an adult. It’s a lesson that some still haven’t learned.