Blog

The month of November brings shorter days, colder temperatures and slippery road conditions. All are seasonal hazards for Maine drivers. According to a 2016 report by the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT), November had the third highest percentage of traffic accidents (9%) between 2006 and 2015. December had the highest percentage at 12 percent. November...

On the surface, distracted pedestrians appear to be their own worst enemies. We think we know them: the guy who regularly walks against the red light. The woman who steps off the curb and never looks up from her phone. The texting teen who thinks crosswalks are simply a suggestion.   After all, the number of pedestrians...

Summer is officially over. The weather has cooled and the kids are back to school this month. Drivers who enjoyed less traffic in the summer mornings now have to be wary of the added traffic of parents and buses bringing kids to school, but they shouldn't overlook the school children who are walking or biking....

If you're riding a bicycle, you should wear your helmet. It's the one thing protecting your head in the case of an accident. However, not all helmets are created equal. In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers from Virginia Tech and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety teamed up to examine the effects of various styles. While...

Here in Maine, we all know to expect more traffic due to the increase in tourism. It's a cycle that repeats annually, but this year has been deadlier than years past. There were eight fatalities in four crashes in the first week of June alone. These are in addition to over 45 fatal accidents that...

Every year, millions of drivers are involved in car crashes and tens of thousands are killed as a result. In 2016, there were 161,374 preventable deaths and 44.5 million injuries from accidents that cost an estimated $967.9 billion in damages. In Maine, on average there are over 30,000 motor vehicle accidents and nearly 150 fatalities...

Mobile technologies are more prevalent than ever. Whether it's a smartphone or an infotainment system, that small screen vies with the road for a driver's attention. Touchscreens have drivers taking their eyes off the road to perform tasks, and these few seconds can be all it takes to cause an accident. Other drivers have taken...

From 2011 to 2016, there were 30,482 traffic accidents on Maine's roads. That averages out to a crash happening once every 17 minutes, though actually the majority of crashes happen during the bustling rush hour. However, drivers must always be alert, as over a fifth of all crashes happen between 9 PM and 2 AM....

The last three years have shown an upswing in auto accidents throughout Maine. Because of this, the Department of Transportation has started a Strategic Highway Safety Plan. This plan examines traffic accident data and fatality statistics to determine where additional traffic safety measures can be put in place to reduce the risk of an accident....

Clearing snow off your car can be so irritating. The morning after a snowstorm, it takes a lot of time and effort just to get your car clear enough to open the driver side door. Many drivers think scraping snow and ice from your windshield and the windows should be enough. If you don't get...