Unmanned cruisers help slow traffic in turnpike construction zone

By Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine - Maine State Police have begun using unmanned cruisers as decoys to prod speeding motorists to slow down through the construction zone between exits 5 and 6 of the Maine Turnpike.

''Even if that driver slows down for 30 seconds or a minute that may be just the edge we need to keep that driver out of an accident,'' said Lt. Randall Nichols of state police Troop G, which patrols the turnpike.

The cruisers are spare cars that are typically placed at a turnpike cross-over for four to five days, Nichols said.

Unmanned cruisers have been used for years as an enforcement strategy. Turnpike officials decided to use it in the widening project after construction officials expressed concerns about worker safety as cars whizzed through construction zones in the Saco-Scarborough area at speeds well above the 50 mph limit.

The empty cars are in addition to extra patrols and an array of electronic and orange signs that warn motorists of shifting lanes, missing shoulders and reduced speeds.

Meanwhile, the Maine Turnpike Authority is waging a media campaign -including television, radio, newspaper and the Internet to increase public awareness.

Conrad Welzel, spokesman for the authority, estimates that 50 percent of drivers are not aware of efforts to get them to slow down.

''(The unmanned cruisers) are just another way to get our information to some people who normally don't get that information from the media,'' he said.

Nichols said he is pleased to see the flashes of red taillights where the cruisers are visible. He said the tactic is not a solution to the problem of speeders, but an effort to reach as many drivers as possible. Inevitably, motorists figure out the trick.

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