Cops Focus On People Hauling Ass On Rte 1A Between Holden And Ellsworth

I travel the what is one of the most dangerous stretches of roadway in the State, twice a day.  I've seen road rage so bad that traffic has stopped in both lanes waiting for it to pass, I've seen and felt cars, trucks and motorcycles go by 40 MPH over the speed limit, I've seen a piston from a twisted and wrecked engine sitting in the middle of the road, and I pass by the now many memorials of those that have died in previous accidents.  This is Rte. 1A between Holden and Ellsworth.

According to a post on the Hancock County Sheriff's Facebook page, the State has taken notice: "The State and the Bureau of Highway Safety have both taken notice and have identified the Route1A corridor, Holden to Ellsworth (22.58 miles) as one of the Top 6 most dangerous corridors in the State to travel based on crash data whereby speed was a significant contributing factor."

The post goes on to say that the State and Bureau of Highway Safety had given the Ellsworth Police Department a bunch of $ to patrol that stretch of road between August 3rd and the 10th.  The Sheriff's Department partnered with the EPD for six different details, all four hours in length, and they stopped 160 vehicles that were all going over 70MPH in a 55MPH zone.

Wondering how much it costs to speed in Maine?  The post provides that information also:

Speeding 1-9mph over limit - $119.00
Speeding 10-14mph over limit - $137.00
Speeding 15-19mph over limit - $185.00
Speeding 20-24mph over limit - $215.00
Speeding 25-29mpg over limit - $263.00

Then there's another story;  distracted driving!  Yes, you haven't lived until you've seen a three ton vehicle with someone staring at a phone veering into your lane.  I've s**t my pants on more than one occasion.  Here's what it will cost you if you're caught texting and driving:

Texting while Driving -$310.00 1st Offense
Texting while Driving - $610.00 2nd Offense

Recently, things have gotten so bad that the MDOT has installed rumble strips on that entire section of road, with high hopes that it will prevent head on accidents.

Here's hoping that anyone that travels Rte. 1A lives to see another day!