Maine Fatigued Driving Bill Appears To Be Dead

A bill that would make it illegal to drive a vehicle after going more than 24 consecutive hours without sleep was rejected by a group of Maine lawmakers.

The Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee on Wednesday voted unanimously against the bill proposed by Republican Rep. Stacey Guerin.

Guerin sponsored the bill on behalf of a Maine resident who lost a family member in a car accident involving an allegedly fatigued driver.

Guerin indicated Monday she would be willing to amend the bill so it would only apply to fatal crashes.

When the bill was introduced some law enforcement officers testified that it would be possible to determine if a driver in a deadly accident hadn't slept in the 24 hours prior to the crash.

The bill now heads to the full House and Senate for consideration.