AUGUSTA, Maine - Members of the Legislature's Transportation Committee have split over whether to support legislation that would ban the use of hand-held cell phones while driving.
Democratic Sen. Bill Diamond, of Windham, supports the bill. He said it will address one of the most serious highway safety problems: texting while driving.
"This will be a huge asset in eliminating that texting because they can't hold the phone in their hands," Diamond said. "To me, that alone makes this really worthy of passage."
State Police say even though Maine law bans texting while driving, the law is hard to enforce when it allows hand-held use of a cell phone. Opponents argued that hands-free devices are just as distracting and noted that the bill would allow their use.
The panel split 7-6 against the legislation. But panel co-chair, Sen. Ron Collins, a Wells Republican who voted against the measure, said he may switch his vote before the the bill goes to the full Legislature.
Rep. Wayne Parry, a Republican from Arundel, opposed the bill, saying it won't help with distracted drivers, and sets up a class distinction between those that can afford hands-free devices and those that cannot.
"We hear constantly that people can't afford food, they can't afford to take care of their kids," Parry said. "Now we are going to tell all of those people that they can't use their cell phones at all and the people that can afford it can use them."
