PORTLAND, Maine - Maine State Police say state troopers have cited more than 1,000 drivers for texting and distracted driving during a six-month crackdown.
State police spokesman Steve McCausland says state police efforts to curb distracted driving will continue throughout 2015. Col. Robert Williams, the state police chief, says his department has received federal grants totaling nearly $300,000 to step up enforcement against distracted driving. The money is paying for overtime for troopers.
Williams says state police are using "a variety of unmarked cars and SUVs'' in cracking down on distracted driving. He says 429 of the 1,080 cited drivers were texting, and others were eating, reading or putting on makeup.
The fine for distracted driving is $119, while the fine for a first offense of texting is $310.