ROAD SAFETY ANALYSIS

Maine Road Safety Analysis

Behavioral Insights Powered by StreetVision

The following road safety report evaluates road risk events in Maine from January 2026 through March 2026. It examines phone distraction rates, intersection-level hard braking activity, and corridor-level speeding patterns to determine where risk is most concentrated.

The report leverages insights from CMT’s StreetVision, an AI-powered behavioral analytics platform that provides decision-ready insights into roadway risk before crashes occur. Transportation officials use StreetVision to identify hotspots, prioritize high-impact safety interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of countermeasures.

Here is a snapshot of our findings — covering distraction benchmarking, county-level concentration analysis, high-risk intersection identification, and corridor speeding patterns.

01 PHONE DISTRACTION

Monthly distraction rates: A comparison to the national benchmark

In January 2026, drivers in Maine recorded 18.73 phone tapping events per 100 miles, compared to the national average of 23.55, placing the state 20.5% below the US benchmark.

In February, the rate was 19.33, a 3.2% increase from the prior month, and 19.7% below the national average.

By March, phone tapping events decreased to 19.1 events per 100 miles, marking a 1.2% decrease from February. It was 19.7% below the US average.

phone tapping events per 100 miles

January 2025

18.73

National avg: 23.55

Feburary 2026

23.55

3.2% from January

March 2026

19.1

-1.2% from February

02 COUNTY ANALYSIS

County-level insights reveal concentrated rates of distracted driving

Across the three-month period, Maine averaged 19.05 phone tapping events per 100 miles, though county-level data shows wide variation around that benchmark.

The most distracted counties, led by Oxford, Washington, and Aroostook, recorded distraction rates roughly 15% – 19% above the state average, highlighting concentrated pockets of elevated risk.

In contrast, the least distracted counties, led by Sagadahoc, Franklin, and Somerset, reported rates roughly 10% – 17% below the statewide average, underscoring a clear regional divide in driver behavior.

phone tapping events per 100 miles

Highest distraction

1 Oxford County 22.6 +18.6%
2 Washington County 22.4 +17.6%
3 Aroostook County 22.0 +15.5%
4 Androscoggin County 21.6 +13.4%
5 Penobscot County 20.4 +7.1%

Lowest distraction

1 Waldo County 17.9 −6.0%
2 Kennebec County 17.3 −9.2%
3 Somerset County 17.2 −9.7%
4 Franklin County 16.4 −13.9%
5 Sagadahoc County 15.9 −16.5%

03 HARD BRAKING

High risk intersections: Where hard braking signals elevated crash risk

Intersections account for roughly 25% of all US traffic deaths and 50% of all traffic injuries. Hard braking often signals near-miss events, making it a leading indicator of elevated crash risk.

An analysis of Androscoggin County intersections found Royalsborough Road & Quaker Meetinghouse Road & Rabbit Road to be a high-risk hotspot, with 175.5 hard braking events per 100 miles driven.

highest risk

Royalsborough Road & Quaker Meetinghouse Road & Rabbit Road

175.5

hard braking events / 100 mi

other high risk intersections in Maine

Hard Braking Events per 100 miles

2

Pond Road & Webster Street

128.8

3

Pleasant Street & Webber Avenue

105.6

4

Pleasant Street & Scribner Boulevard

105.4

Locations with persistently high hard braking activity are widely recognized as candidates for proactive intervention — where targeted engineering improvements, enforcement visibility, or behavioral countermeasures may reduce crash risk before crashes occur.

04 SPEEDING PATTERNS

When & Where Speeding Risk Peaks

Speeding behavior in Maine follows identifiable time-of-day and corridor-level patterns, creating predictable windows of elevated risk.

On Crocker Rd in Waldo County, ME (45 mph), speeding peaks on Thursdays at 6:00 a.m., when 16.3% of driving time exceeds 10 mph over the limit. Additional elevated speeding periods include Mondays at 10:00 a.m. and Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m.

These patterns provide actionable intelligence for speed studies, high-visibility enforcement, public awareness campaigns, and resource allocation decisions.

CORRIDOR ANALYSIS

Crocker Road

Posted speed limit: 45 mph

Thursdays: 6:00 a.m.

16.3%

of driving time exceeds the posted speed limit

Mondays: 10:00 a.m.

10.3%

of driving time exceeds the posted speed limit

These patterns provide actionable intelligence for speed studies, high-visibility enforcement, public awareness campaigns, and resource allocation decisions.

05 SCHOOL ZONES

How fast are drivers going in school zones?

We analyzed speed distribution in the school zone at Yarmouth Elementary School on Mccartney St in Yarmouth, ME. Our analysis found that 49% of drivers exceed the 15 mph speed limit during school hours. Thursdays at 1:00 p.m. had the highest rate of speeding, with 67.6% of drivers going over the limit.

 

Understanding how frequently speeding occurs during school hours helps traffic engineers determine whether stronger safety measures are needed to better protect vulnerable road users.

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