Maine’s ban on texting while driving could be a precursor to more restrictions that could come in response to a national panel’s recommendation to eliminate all use of cellphones while driving.

State Sen. Bill Diamond, D-Windham, a former secretary of state, was the prime sponsor of the state’s texting ban, which took effect at the end of September. He also was a major proponent of the 2009 law to make distracted driving illegal.

Diamond said he believes the state will eventually ban use of cellphones by drivers altogether. The National Transportation Safety Board recommended as much, including for hands-free devices, because of a rising number of distracted drivers and related accidents.

“The public is more and more fed up with this, and then we see tragedies like this,” he said of the fatal crash in West Paris early Saturday.

He noted that there are indications the driver of a trash truck that collided with an Amtrak train last summer also was distracted while talking on a cellphone.

“This is building and building. I think there will be a change in culture here,” Diamond said.

He said it will probably take time and legislative efforts to educate people and get such a bill passed. He won’t be a sponsor though, because term limits will force him out of the Senate at the end of the year. “Next year, hopefully, somebody will put in the bill (for a ban), to generate discussion,” he said.

The law against texting prohibits typing or reading a text message while driving. A violation is punishable by a $100 fine.

Diamond said he is unaware of any statistics on citations under the new law, and he thinks it may be too early to analyze. He said passage of the law was important, even if few citations are issued, because most people choose to follow the law.

— David Hench, staff writer