KENNEBUNK – Kennebunk wants motorists to slow down and have launched a public awareness campaign designed to encourage drivers to ease off on the gas pedal.

It is all part of a community approach to speeding prevention. The town of Kennebunk recently launched the Slow Down Kennebunk campaign aimed at decreasing speeding incidents.. The goal of the campaign is to create awareness of the issue, educate the public on the dangers and implications of speeding, and gain voluntary compliance in driving the posted speed limits, municipal officials say.

“For years, speeding has been the number one complaint here in the town,” said Police Chief Robert MacKenzie. “Voluntary compliance is when you take it upon yourself to follow the speed limit and the rules of the road without really being forced to do so.”

“The campaign has been well-received with many residents expressing appreciation for the effort and the signs are in high demand,” said Tina Radel, Kennebunk’s Marketing and Communication Specialist.

Residents who experience speeding in their neighborhoods are encouraged to place a sign on their property to help create awareness about the issue. Slow Down Kennebunk yard signs are available for pick-up at the town clerk’s office, 8 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. weekdays or the front desk at the Kennebunk Police Station 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, while supplies last.

Kennebunk has also produced a series of public service announcement videos that are being shared on the town’s website, cable TV and social media platforms.

“Slow Down Kennebunk, life will be waiting for you when you arrive,” is the tagline used in the videos which feature staff and others who have experience with traffic enforcement, emergency response, and the design and engineering of town roads. The videos call attention to the danger speeding poses to all road users including pedestrians, cyclists, and children.

Solar powered digital signs have also been installed in areas of town where speed tends to be a problem. These signs have custom messaging that can be updated by the Kennebunk Police Department. Messages such as “Ur a star!” Or “Jolly good!” appear for those who are driving the speed limit while those who are speeding may see a message such as “Take it easy!”

“The idea is to appoint all of us as ambassadors of traffic calming,” said outgoing select board chair Blake Baldwin.

“Speed is a multiplier,” said John Brady, chief of emergency medical services “It is a factor in over 40 percent of injuries that happen in motor vehicle crashes.”

“We can always launch a major speed enforcement initiative, likely resulting in numerous citations and the expenditure of countless hours by our law enforcement professionals. Instead, at least for now, we are moving forward with a community approach designed to slow us down just a bit. It is a voluntary compliance approach,” said Town Manager Mike Pardue. “That is not to suggest police personnel won’t be conducting speed enforcement, but if we tackle this problem as a community, we stand a much higher chance of maintaining the community we have all come to enjoy.”

A Slow Down Kennebunk video is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT9TK1qiT3c.

For more information, visit www.kennebunkmaine.us/slowdown.