Representative Stacey Guerin of Glenburn, Maine, is proposing a law that would make driving while fatigued a crime, according to the Portland Press Herald.
Specifically, Republican Rep. Stacey Guerin’s bill would outlaw driving without having slept during the previous 24 hours. Guerin testified before the Legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee on Monday, saying that roughly 1,550 people are killed each year nationally in crashes that police blame on driver fatigue.
“There is currently no criminal charge for even extreme fatigued driving,” Guerin said. She said a study in Australia found that driving after not having slept for 24 hours is equivalent to having a blood alcohol content of 0.10 percent, more than the legal limit for drinking.
