IN THIS ISSUE:

• Ford Driving Skills

• Fatigue on Law En-

forcement

• Vulnerable User Day

• Phlebotomy Training

• Sagadahoc RIDE Team

• 2016 DHHS Lab Data

THE

MAINE LIAISON Edition 19 Maine Bureau of Highway Safety May 2017

The Bureau of Highway Safety at Work

On Saturday, April 29th Maine’s new Roadside Testing Vehicle (RTV) was put to full use. The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety acquired the 32’ vehicle last October through a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The vehicle’s primary role is as an enforcement platform for apprehending impaired drivers in Maine. The RTV’s sec-ondary role is public awareness of the dangers of impaired driving.

On Saturday two troopers assisted the Millinocket Regional Hospital at the annual Katahdin Area Health Fair. Specialist Aaron Turcotte and Trooper Joshua D’Angelo provided residents with educational tours of the RTV and explained its capabilities. The RTV carries one Intoxilyzer and all the equipment necessary to conduct OUI checkpoints.

While at the fair the troopers also set up an impaired driving course using a golf cart and the “Fatal Vision Goggles”. The goggles simulate the visual distortion of an impaired driver. The demonstration showed the audience how a driv-er’s vision would be affected while driving impaired.

Later that evening the Roadside Testing Vehicle demonstrated its primary function, impaired driving enforcement. The State Police Impaired Driving Reduction Enforcement Team, SPIDRE, set up an impaired driving checkpoint on Route 2 in Hermon from 8PM to 2AM. The eight troopers came into direct contact with 386 drivers. Countless others passed the checkpoint without direct contact but, seeing the RTV, knew exactly what the team was doing. During this time frame there were five impaired driving arrests with two of the drivers impaired by drugs. The RTV is designed and equipped for officers to do complete drug impairment evaluations on board. Both evaluations were conducted road-side. The team also arrested one person on a warrant and another for operating as a habitual offender (F).

Impaired driving continues to be a factor in too many traffic crashes. The SPIDRE Team will continue to conduct checkpoints and saturation patrols across the state. The Roadside Testing Vehicle is available to any police agen-cy for their impaired driving enforcement efforts or public safety awareness program.

Knox County Sign in Use on RT 90 in Warren.

Maine Police

Participate in

Border to Border

Click it

or

Ticket

Ford Driving Skills for Life – A Safe Driving Solution

Ford Driving Skills for Life (Ford DSFL) was established in 2003 by Ford Motor Company Fund, the Governors Highway Safety Association, and a panel of safety experts to teach newly licensed teens the necessary skills for safe driving beyond what they learn in standard driver education programs.

The program is international in scope touching not only the United States but many areas around the world. The basic premise behind Ford Driving Skills for Life is to provide a step in the learning process, providing new skills and information not currently shared with newly licensed drivers in the basic driver education courses.

Training is conducted in both hands-on and web-based curriculum and

the entire program is available at no cost. Training conducted under the

Ford Driving Skills for Life program addresses both the inexperience fac-

tor as well as issues surrounding distracted driving. Results over the past

ten years of this effort have been outstanding. For best results, we en-

courage both teens and parents to engage in the instruction together.

New Video: Understanding the Effects of Fatigue on Law Enforcement

How often are law enforcement officers fatigued? What are the impacts of officer fatigue? These research questions, and findings, can helps law enforcement agencies implement policies needed to keep officers safe.

Watch the brief video to learn about protecting officers from the dangers of fatigue..

Ford Driving Skills for Life will be in Maine on July 15th and 16th at the Brunswick Executive Airport. For more information: https://www.drivingskillsforlife.com

http://www.maine.gov/mdot/bikeped/

Vulnerable User Enforcement Day

June 14, 2017

The Bicycle Coalition of Maine’s Law Enforcement Collaborative, a group that brings together law en-

forcement officers with bicycle commuters, transportation planners and legal professionals to discuss the

opportunities and challenges of bicycle and pedestrian safety and policing. We are reaching out today to

invite you to participate in the second annual Vulnerable User Enforcement Day, planned for June 14,

2017.

During the VU Enforcement Day, the goal is to have as many law enforcement agencies as possible in the

state of Maine paying extra attention to the behaviors that put vulnerable users—especially bicycle riders

and persons walking—at higher risk of crashes.

These problematic behaviors include not only distracted driving, speeding, and other motorist infractions

that threaten vulnerable users, but also include the actions of pedestrians and bicycle riders that put

themselves at risk, such as jaywalking, wrong way riding, and ignoring traffic control devices.

This effort is intended to curb the record high numbers of bicycle and pedestrian fatalities that have oc-

curred in Maine over the last few years.

We are seeking other agencies to join Portland, South Portland, Yarmouth and Scarborough police de-

partments, as well as the Cumberland County Sheriff’s office, to focus on bicycle and pedestrian safety on

June 14.

If you are going to participate, or if you have any questions or need more information in regards to the

effort, enforcement options, and possible funding sources, please contact Lt. Frank Clark, South Portland

PD at francl@southportland.org. Bicycle Law Reference Guide, a “cheat sheet” that provides easy to access info on bicycle and motorist

violations, including statute and fine information, that are a priority for enforcement actions.

` Annual DRE Training

Just an early heads up so you can plan ahead. The annual DRE training will be held at MCJA on Thursday 8-31-2017. More de-tails to follow. My expectation is that all DRE’s should attend this session regardless of year of expiration. We will be discussing pro-

gram changes and current issues to include several training sessions.

Thanks. Jim

James Lyman 877-8009 James.A.Lyman@maine.gov

Drugs a Bigger

Factor Than Alcohol in California

Impaired Driving Fresnbee

Maine

Law Enforcement Phlebotomy Technician Training

Sponsored by :

Maine Bureau of Highway Safety UPCOMING TRAINING

June 19-20 Auburn

July 12-13 Bangor

August 21-22 Auburn

REFRESHER

July 11 (12 p.m. - 4 p.m.) Bangor

August 14 (12 p.m. - 4 p.m.) Auburn

September 13 (12 p.m. - 4 p.m.) Auburn

To register: www.leoblooddraw.com

Contact: Andrea Thompson

Andrea@leoblooddraw.com

Traffic Stop Nets Four Arrests On

Drug Charges

A Bristol Tennessee Police Department officer said he observed a silver Toyota traveling south on U.S. Highway 11E with a tag light that wasn’t working and a cracked windshield.

Herald Currier

Traffic Stop

Leads to Drug

Bust A Montgomery County deputy constable this week uncovered 122 grams of methampheta-mine when he stopped a speeding pickup truck in Splendor, officials said Friday.

Chron.com

Check out this site!! https://mdotapps.maine.gov/MaineCrashPublic/

On April 21, 2017, at approximately 10:30 pm, Sergeant Cody Laite and Detective Merl Reed conduct-ed a traffic stop on Lincolnville Avenue in Belfast for a vehicle defect. Officers made contact with the driver, Jason Roberts, 36 of Searsport. During the traffic stop, Mr. Roberts was found to be in possession of approximately 12 grams of Heroin. Officers also seized over $1,200 in cash. Mr. Roberts was transported to the Waldo County Jail and charged with Unlawful Trafficking in Heroin a Class B Felony, bail was set at $2,500.

FROM THE MAINE DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY

The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency has charged a couple from the Town of Lincoln with operating a methamphetamine lab. The arrests came after Lincoln Police stopped the couple’s car on High Street Monday afternoon and found the two were making meth inside the vehicle. Arrested are 30 year old Christopher McGinn and 26 year old Tiffany Lord, both charged with unlawful operation of a meth lab. The two were taken to the Pe-nobscot County Jail.

After the discovery of the meth lab inside the car, the MDEA’s meth lab team arrived to process the crime scene, secure the evidence, and remove the contraband. Investigators then searched the cou-ple’s home at 6 Cemetery Road and found more evidence of meth making. Assisting MDEA and Lincoln Police were the Lincoln Fire Department, the Penobscot Sheriff’s Office, and the Department of Environmental Protection.

This is the 16th meth related response by MDEA this year.

Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office Saturation Patrol

Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office held a saturation patrol the night before Cinco de Mayo (May 4) due to the impending rain storms and the following is the results of the event: 43 cars were stopped. 2 - OUI arrests 1 - Warrant of Arrest 2 - Criminal Speed summonses 2- Operating beyond restriction summons 2 - Speeding summonses 2 - Inspection violation summons 1 – Registration summons