The Rumford Police Department is focusing on highway safety issues to make the roadways a safe place for the public to
travel.
Rumford Police Chief Stacy Carter said the department has received grants from the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety to focus on speed enforcement and Impaired driving. A grant application was also submitted to focus on seatbelt safety. A grant to focus on impaired driving was received in the amount of $5,500.
Extra officers will be assigned between now and Labor Day to focus on removing impaired drivers from the roadways. They also received a grant under the Bureau of Highway Safety 2017 Data-Driven Speed Enforcement Program. The grant is in the amount of $4,000.
Officers will conduct speed enforcement details through Sept. 15, 2017. The grant is awarded based on crash related data. The goal is to reduce the number of crashes that occur due to speeding. Many of the crashes may have been a result of driving too fast for conditions such as during inclement weather.
The Rumford Police department is asking for voluntary compliance. They can reduce the number of injuries and fatalities by driving within the speed limit, wearing safety belts and not driving aggressively or while distracted.
The Police Department is also applying for a Bureau of Highway Safety Grant in the amount of $3600 to enforce the mandatory use of seatbelts. The goal is to reduce the frequency of unrestrained occupant related motor vehicle crashes, injuries and fatalities.

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