Summer is here. Most schools have wrapped up instruction for the year, graduates are out and working on plans for the summer and beyond. Traffic has picked up throughout the region.
Consider this our regular appeal to drive safely.
The period of time between Memorial Day and Labor Day is referred to as the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer,” by the National Road Safety Foundation.
There are several factors that contribute to this time period being considered more deadly on the road than other times of the year. They include school being out, more inexperienced teen drivers on the road, distracted driving, speeding, and operating under the influence.
With all of us sharing the road together, it is up to each of us to pay attention to the other driver, and to not be causing dangerous situations ourselves.
If you are under the influence this summer, be responsible and have a designated driver.
Make sure your teen driver is aware of distractions and works to eliminate them while driving. It may be worth having the conversation that arriving late after curfew is better than driving too fast in an effort to make it home on time.
And watch out for those animals that jump out in front of you.
This year, there seems to be an increase in the amount of road kill after collisions with vehicles. Deer are certainly plentiful on the roadways this year, so please be especially vigilant of them and our other furry critters that stray into your travel lanes.
For those visiting from away, pedestrians have the right of way in crosswalks in Maine, so stop for those trying to cross the street. For pedestrians, please make your way to designated crosswalks and wait for vehicles to yield for your crossing.
Hopefully by us all working together this summer, we can make it through this summer stretch as safely as possible.
