Bill Nemitz: A Crash Course In Life In The Fast Lane Of I-295

They’re out there, right now, breaking the law. And God help anyone who gets in their way. Drug dealers from away? Nope. Phantom voters who cast ballots here, there and everywhere in last month’s election? Nope. I’m talking speed demons. Which means, in all likelihood, I’m talking about you. It all started with an enlightening report in Thursday’s Portland Press Herald by Staff Writer Kate McCormick. Her analysis showed that crashes on Interstate 295 between Falmouth and Gardiner jumped a whopping 32 percent in 2015 after the state raised the speed limit along that stretch of highway from 65 to 70 mph. The rolling demolition derby, expected to be even worse this year, was attributed to several factors – more cars on the road and less room between cars, to name a couple. But as research clearly shows, the most obvious problem here is that increased speed limits are like the minimum bid in an auction – you no sooner set it and everyone flies right past it. Don’t believe me?