Maine Crash Hot Spots: The Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections

Where Maine Traffic Deaths Happen

NHTSA’s early estimate puts Maine at 174 traffic deaths in 2025, about the same as NHTSA’s count of 177 for 2024 (MaineDOT’s crash records show 176). Most of them don’t happen on the Turnpike or in Portland traffic. They happen on two-lane rural roads, where a car drifts over the center line or off the shoulder. MaineDOT’s crash records show about four in five fatal crashes from 2020 to 2024 were on rural roads.

York County had more fatal crashes than any other county from 2020 to 2024, 105 by MaineDOT’s count, followed by Cumberland with 96 and Penobscot with 85. MaineDOT’s 2022 Strategic Highway Safety Plan lists lane departure first among its focus areas and calls it the state’s most frequent fatal crash type, behind about 70% of Maine traffic deaths. Speed and seat belt use come next on the list.

Maine’s High-Risk Corridors, Road by Road

These roads keep turning up in Maine crash coverage, from the Turnpike to the two-lane routes that cross the state. Published figures are included where they exist.

1. Interstate 295: Scarborough Through Portland to Gardiner

I-295 splits off the Maine Turnpike at Exit 44 in Scarborough and runs through South Portland and Portland, then up the coast through Falmouth, Yarmouth, Freeport and Brunswick before rejoining the Turnpike near Gardiner. Through Portland it’s the city’s main highway, with exits close together at Forest Avenue, Franklin Street and Washington Avenue and a lot of drivers changing lanes to reach them.

The Portland stretch is where rear-end crashes and sideswipes pile up at rush hour, as on-ramps merge into slowing traffic. Narrow shoulders and work zone lane shifts don’t help. North of Falmouth it opens up, and the risk shifts to speed and winter ice.

2. Maine Turnpike (I-95): Kittery to Augusta

The Turnpike carries I-95 for 109 miles, from Kittery to Exit 109 in Augusta. Almost every summer visitor uses it, so traffic swings from light in February to bumper-to-bumper on July weekends, with backups at the York toll plaza.

Around Portland, Exits 47 and 48 drop drivers onto Rand Road, Riverside Street and Larrabee Road, and Riverside and Larrabee came second on a Portland police list of crash-prone intersections for the first half of 2023. Farther north, Exit 75 serves Auburn and Exit 80 serves Lewiston, where commuters and trucks mix. In winter, the open miles between Gray and Gardiner can ice over fast.

3. Interstate 95 Through Bangor: I-395 to Hogan Road

North of Augusta, I-95 runs free through Waterville and Newport to Bangor, where six exits come in quick succession, from the I-395 split at Exit 182 to Hogan Road at Exit 187. Several of those ramps have made MaineDOT’s lists. On MaineDOT’s High Crash Location list for 2019 to 2021, a ramp junction at the I-95 and I-395 interchange had 28 crashes and a critical rate factor of 5.69, far above what similar spots statewide see.

The northbound on-ramp from Union Street at Exit 184 had 22 crashes from 2020 to 2022, 20 of them rear-end or sideswipe crashes, according to a MaineDOT crash summary. At the other end of town, Hogan Road and the Bangor Mall pull heavy shopping traffic off the interstate, and winter storms make every merge harder.

4. Forest Avenue (U.S. Route 302): Portland to Fryeburg

Forest Avenue is U.S. 302 inside Portland, running from the edge of downtown past the I-295 interchange, Woodfords Corner and Morrill’s Corner, then out past Riverside Street to the Westbrook line. Portland police put three Forest Avenue intersections on the city’s top five for crashes in the first half of 2023, led by Stevens Avenue and Forest Avenue, the Bangor Daily News reported. Forest Avenue at Riverside Street and at Marginal Way were also on the list.

Past Portland, U.S. 302 heads through Westbrook and Windham to the Sebago Lake region, Bridgton and Fryeburg. Out there it’s a different road: summer tourist traffic, deer, narrow lanes and fast stretches with driveways on both sides.

5. U.S. Route 1: Kittery to Brunswick and Up the Coast

U.S. 1 runs the whole coast, from Kittery through York, Wells, Biddeford, Saco and Scarborough, then through Falmouth, Yarmouth and Brunswick and on to the Midcoast. In York County it’s a busy commercial road, lined with outlets, restaurants and motels, with constant turns in and out of parking lots. In Kittery, a 2023 corridor study counted 27 crashes from 2020 to 2022 on the stretch from the Burger King entrance to Wilson Road.

Through Falmouth, Yarmouth and Brunswick, U.S. 1 mixes local errands with through traffic and pedestrians in busy village centers. In summer, add visitors who don’t know where they’re turning.

6. U.S. Route 202: Auburn, Lewiston and Augusta

Route 202 comes off the Turnpike at Exit 75 into Auburn as Washington Street, crosses the Androscoggin into Lewiston on Main Street and runs on to Augusta. In Auburn, Washington Street at Beech Hill and Danville Corner roads holds the top spot on a MaineDOT database that ranks intersections by the likelihood of fatal or serious-injury crashes, using data through 2024, the Sun Journal reported. In Lewiston, the city’s safety action plan ranked Main Street, from the Auburn line to Sabattus Street, first among its high-injury corridors.

In Augusta, Route 202 comes in on Western Avenue, past Turnpike Exit 109, with its strip of stores and signals. The city’s two big rotaries, Memorial Circle and Cony Circle, sit on either side of the Kennebec, and both are tough for drivers who don’t use them every day.

7. U.S. Route 2: Bethel to Bangor and Houlton

U.S. 2 crosses Maine from the New Hampshire line near Gilead through Bethel, Rumford, Farmington and Skowhegan, then on to Newport, Bangor and Houlton. Most of it is two lanes, with long dark stretches, logging trucks and moose and deer at dawn and dusk. This is the kind of road where Maine’s rural fatal crashes happen.

Crashes where a vehicle went off the road accounted for 42% of Maine traffic deaths from 2019 to 2023, the Bureau of Highway Safety found, and head-on and sideswipe crashes made up another 28%. Roads like U.S. 201 north of Skowhegan, Route 26 through Poland, Route 11 near Millinocket and Route 9 toward Calais carry the same risks, often with long waits for help.

More High-Crash Locations Across Maine

MaineDOT flags a High Crash Location when a spot has at least eight crashes and a critical rate factor above one over three years, which means more crashes than similar places around the state, as the Sun Journal has explained. City safety plans and police rankings fill in more, and these are named spots with published figures.

A few of these are getting work. MaineDOT plans a traffic signal at Washington Street and Beech Hill and Danville Corner roads in Auburn, and the project is in its 2026 to 2027 work plan. In Portland, the city received a $2.1 million federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant for a one-mile stretch of Brighton Avenue between City Hospital Drive and Wayside Road, with final design and installation projected by June 2027, Mainebiz reported. The city calls that stretch a high-risk area for vehicle and pedestrian crashes, WGME reported.

How to Stay Safe on Maine’s Most Dangerous Roads

Most of this comes down to a few habits, whether you’re on the Turnpike, a rural two-lane or a Portland crosswalk.

For Drivers:

1. Stay in your lane: Lane departure is behind about 70% of Maine traffic deaths. On roads like U.S. 2 and U.S. 201, slow down for curves, put the phone away and pull over if you’re getting drowsy.
2. Watch for deer and moose: MaineDOT counted more than 6,000 deer crashes in 2024. Slow down at dawn and dusk and brake firmly rather than swerving.
3. Leave room on I-295 and at the Bangor exits: Rear-end and sideswipe crashes cluster where ramps merge. Leave a gap and signal early.
4. Take rotaries slowly: At Augusta’s Cony Circle and Memorial Circle, yield to traffic already in the circle and pick your lane before you enter.
5. Drive for winter: Clear the snow off your car, leave extra stopping distance and slow down on bridges.
6. Never drive impaired: More than a third of Maine traffic deaths from 2019 to 2023 involved an impaired driver.

For Pedestrians:

1. Cross at marked crosswalks: On busy streets like Forest Avenue, Congress Street and Brighton Avenue in Portland, or Sabattus Street in Lewiston, use signals and marked crossings.
2. Be visible after dark: Maine’s winter nights start early. Wear something bright or reflective and carry a light.

For Cyclists:

1. Use lanes and trails where you can: In Portland, use bike lanes and off-street paths like the Back Cove Trail. On rural roads, ride as far right as is safe.
2. Light up: Run front and rear lights, even in daylight on two-lane highways like U.S. 1 and U.S. 302.

General Tips:

1. Plan around summer traffic: The Turnpike, U.S. 1 and U.S. 302 fill up on summer weekends, so expect sudden slowdowns.
2. Check conditions first: Before a winter drive on I-95 north of Augusta or U.S. 2, check the forecast and road reports.
3. Buckle up every trip: Occupant protection is one of the focus areas in the state safety plan, and a belt matters most on high-speed rural roads.

What to Do If You’re Injured in a Maine Car Accident

A crash on the Turnpike, I-295 or a dark stretch of U.S. 2 can leave you hurt and rattled. What you do next matters, for your health and for any insurance claim.

1. Call 911. Get police to the scene, even if the damage looks minor. Maine law requires reporting a crash that injures or kills anyone, or causes apparent damage of $2,000 or more. If anyone is hurt, ask for an ambulance.
2. Get checked out. Concussions and internal injuries don’t always show up right away, so see a doctor soon.
3. Document the scene if it’s safe. Photograph the vehicles, damage, plates and road conditions. Get witnesses’ contact details, and swap insurance information without admitting fault.
4. Be careful with adjusters. The other driver’s insurer may call quickly. You can politely decline a recorded statement until you have your crash report.
5. Keep everything. Medical records, bills, repair estimates, missed work, and every letter or email from an insurer.

Which agency has your report depends on where you crashed. On the Maine Turnpike, from Kittery to Augusta, it’s State Police Troop G, and everywhere else the report sits with whoever responded, whether a state trooper, a county sheriff’s deputy or the local police department. Our Maine crash report guide explains how to order a copy.

Don’t know which department responded, or would rather skip the paperwork? We can get a copy of your report for you at no cost.

Maine Crash Hot Spot Questions

More Maine Crash Guides

County accident news: Cumberland County · York County · Penobscot County · Androscoggin County · Kennebec County · Hancock County · Oxford County · Knox County

Nearby states: New Hampshire crash hot spots · Massachusetts crash hot spots · Vermont crash hot spots

For the latest, crashes from around the state are posted in Maine accident news and our recent accident alerts.