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PublishedMarch 9, 2023
Ben Bragdon: Higher fines for bad driving may just be a distraction
The Legislature is considering severe new fines on distracted driving. They probably won't work.
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PublishedMarch 1, 2023
Higher fines for violating hands-free driving law attract fans, key detractors
Though a state police lieutenant says more needs to be known about the existing law's effectiveness, supporters of increasing the fine to $500 say the current $50 penalty for handling a cellphone while driving fails as a deterrent.
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PublishedFebruary 5, 2023
Maine considers steeper fines to deter distracted driving
Since Maine's hands-free driving law took effect in 2019, more than 3,000 drivers have received tickets each year. A legislative bill would increase penalties from $85 to $500 for a first offense and from $325 to $1,000 for a second offense.
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PublishedNovember 4, 2022
Schools clash with parents over bans on student cellphones
As growing numbers of schools move to limit student access to cellphones, many are navigating pushback from parents.
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PublishedJune 14, 2022
Maine’s single area code now expected to last until end of 2025
The latest projection of when 207 numbers will be exhausted is a year later than had been expected. The previous estimate was through 2024.
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PublishedNovember 18, 2021
3G network shutting down in Maine, affecting older phones, devices
Some older cellphones will not be able to make or receive calls or texts after the switch and other devices like medical alert devices, smart watches, vehicle SOS services, home security systems and tablets could stop working.
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PublishedJuly 16, 2020
Maine’s days as 207 are numbered, because the area code’s ‘exhausted’
The state is running out of usable phone numbers to assign to its beloved area code, forcing regulators to consider adding a second one.
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PublishedApril 16, 2020
Technology to track COVID-19 raises fears of mass surveillance
The ideas for new technologies range from systems to draw data from diagnostic testing labs and hospitals to mobile phone apps to identify the infected to help others avoid contact.
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PublishedJanuary 21, 2020
Lawmakers sideline proposed cellphone ban in parking lots
A bill that would have prohibited use of hand-held phones in parking lots now attempts only to clarify fines and other mistakes in the existing law.
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PublishedDecember 2, 2019
Biddeford ‘sting’ reveals drivers largely undeterred by new handheld cellphone law
On several details, police could not keep up with the violations they observed, they say.
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