Maine's New Law

Bangor is a city of about 32,000 residents. This total soars to over 80,000 during the weekday work hours. With so many people traveling into the city for their days, there are constantly accidents caused by drives who simply weren’t paying attention to what they were doing. Distracted drivers cause the majority of accidents in the Bangor area. The 57 officers of the Bangor Police Department work hard everyday to keep the streets safe for everyone.

Maine has recently passed a law that allows law enforcement officers to fine people for being distracted while at the wheel. What many people don’t understand is what the law actually says. Many people are under the impression that they can no longer talk on their cell phones or text while driving. This is not the case. People can continue to talk and text as well as other tasks while driving, but if they commit a traffic violation or get into an accident while doing so, they can also be charged with an additional charge of failure to maintain control of their vehicle. If a driver runs through a stop sign, while trying to dial their cell phone, they can be charged with the failure to stop charge and a charge for failure to control the motor vehicle.

Many people say they did not hear much about the new law in the media and that their misconceptions about it all come from word of mouth. Residents feel a better job could have been done on covering the law and explaining what it actually says. While the new law is not currently in the books yet, it is article 2217 and will be added shortly.

The City of Bangor really hopes to see people starting to pay better attention while they driving. “The big goal right now is to educate people,” says Officer Jason McAmbley of the Bangor Police Department. In hopes that people will become less distracted at the wheel and focus more on driving.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 80% of accidents are caused by drivers who are distracted three seconds before the accident. Law enforcement hopes that the law will help stop people from being distracted as they drive. The initial fine for a first time offender will be under $50, for each subsequent offence, the fine will increase.

The state does have a law that prevents minors from talking or texting while driving. It is a primary offense to be under 18 and talking or texting while at the wheel. A primary offense is an offense that you can be pulled over for, whereas a secondary offense you cannot be stopped for.

A list of every state's cell phone laws can be found here.