AUGUSTA — Teenage drivers will face restrictions for a longer period of time and will get bigger fines if they make repeated mistakes under a bill that gained all but final approval by the Legislature on Friday.
Supporters say their mission is clear — they want to stem the tide of teenage driving deaths that has reached 19 since December.
“The loss of a child is the worst thing that can happen,” said Rep. Joan Nass, R-Acton. “You need to think that if we save one child with this bill, we have done our job.”
The bill, LD 1912, makes several changes to driving laws, including:
* Increasing the period of restrictions for an intermediate license holder from six months to nine months. Intermediate license holders are not allowed to drive with anyone other than family members, they can’t use cellphones if they are younger than 18, and they can’t drive between midnight and 5 a.m.
* Increasing the fine imposed for violating those rules to a range of $250-$500.
* Increasing the fine for texting while driving for all drivers — teens and adults — from $100 to $250.
* Increasing penalties for teen repeat offenders from 60 to 180 days for a second offense moving violation and from 90 days to one year for a third or subsequent offense.
Opponents questioned the increase in fines and the prolonged loss of license for repeat offenders, saying some teens or their parents can’t afford to come up with the money. Rural lawmakers said there’s no public transportation for those who lose their license.
“In rural Maine, if you lose your license, it isn’t just that you can’t do your job, you can’t go to the store,” said Rep. Tyler Clark, R-Easton.
The bill was brought forward just this week following a series of recommendations from Secretary of State Charlie Summers. Summers spent months touring the state to talk to parents and others about driving laws and he convened a task force to come up with changes. Although lawmakers were at first concerned about taking up a bill so late in the session, supporters argued that it’s important to take steps immediately because of the recent deaths.
“This sends a message that we are serious as a state,” said Rep. Richard Cebra, R-Naples, who said his brother died in a car accident many years ago. “We’ve lost 19 young people in Maine since Christmas. We don’t have the luxury to wait until next year some time.”
During Senate debate late Thursday night, a handful of senators urged more time for consideration. Sen. Elizabeth Schneider, D-Orono, said families and teens in her district have no idea that Legislature is considering such significant changes to driving laws. She said although she and others want to put laws in place to reduce teen driving deaths, she isn’t convinced steeper penalties are the answer.
“Who wants, in a campaign year, to vote against something called ‘An Act to Encourage Responsible Teen Driving?'” she said.
Bill sponsor, Sen. Bill Diamond, D-Windham, a former secretary of state, stressed the urgency of the matter.
“We have an epidemic of kids dying on the road,” he said. “We need to act.”
Susan Cover — 620-7015
scover@mainetoday.com
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