Safety officials take anti-texting message on the road

A Maine initiative will have anti-texting message displayed on large commercial trucks throughout the state. (Courtesy photo)

AUGUSTA - Governor LePage will join State Police Chief Colonel Robert Williams, and the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety today to launch a unique program to combat distracted driving in Maine.

The effort will feature safety messages on a number of large commercial trucks that travel within the state. 

In addition State Police will detail their own enforcement efforts on distracted driving. In the past three years, more than 8,000 crashes in Maine have been attributed to distracted driving, including 12 deaths.  

In Maine, all drivers, regardless of age, are prohibited from texting while driving. This is a primary law, which means you can get pulled over by the police and penalized for composing or sending a text message while driving, even without committing another traffic violation prior to that.

The minimum fine for texting while driving in Maine is $250, which refers to first-time offenders, while repeat offenders face a $500 fine. This includes emails and instant messages, in addition to text messages.

In New Hampshire, texting is also illegal, with a $100 fine for those caught, and is also considered a “primary” law.