The Maine Department of Public Safety has partnered with several trucking companies to place signs on the side of semi trucks warning the public of distracted driving, especially driving while texting or on the phone.

The trucker – police partnership doesn’t stop there however. Traffic safety officers will also ride along with truck drivers in order to get a better view of of the road and catch distracted drivers in the act.

Maine’s Chief of Police, Colonel Robert Williams described the advantages of teaming up with truckers by saying: “I can tell you you’ll be amazed at what you can see from up there. We’ll be riding in their tractor trailers looking for people who are distracted driving.”

The state’s governor, Paul Lepage, believes that current methods used spread driver awareness, such as PSA’s and TV ads have not been effective, as there have been over 8000 accidents involving distracted drivers in Maine in the last 3 years alone. Drivers are currently subject to a $300 fine if caught driving while texting, however Lepage vowed to increase penalties in 2015 should he be reelected.