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Maine Bill Would Make 'Fatigued' Driving a Crime

AUGUSTA, Maine - A proposal before lawmakers in Augusta seeks to make it a crime to drive while "fatigued."

Republican Rep. Stacey Guerin, of Glenburn, says she introduced the bill on behalf of a constituent who lost a family member in an accident involving an alleged drowsy driver.

"There is currently no criminal charge for even extreme cases of fatigued driving," Guerin told members of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee at a public hearing this morning. "We are hoping this bill will change that."

LD 988 would make it a crime for a person to operate a motor vehicle while having been without sleep for 24 hours, or while in such a state of fatigue as to make it unsafe to continue driving.
 
The committee also heard testimony from law enforcement personnel, who warned that such a bill would be almost impossible to enforce.