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State Laws & Funding
Maine
Below is a list of the key highway safety laws in Maine. For more information, contact the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety.
| No state law |
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Handheld Ban | All Cell Phone Ban | Text Messaging Ban | Crash Data |
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| School Bus Drivers | Novice Drivers | All Drivers | School Bus Drivers | Novice Drivers | |||||
| <18 (Primary) |
<18 (Primary) |
Yes | |||||||
Maine has passed a law making it against the law to drive while distracted in the state.
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Child Restraint Required unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.) |
Adult Safety Belt Permissible unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.) |
Maximum Fine 1st Offense |
| <40 lbs. in child safety seat; 40 - 80 lbs. and <8 yrs. in safety system that elevates child so that adult safety belt fits properly; <11 (and <100) in rear seat if available | 8 - 17 (or <18 yrs. and >4'9") | $50 (max. $250 for subsequent offenses) |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Per Se Laws for Drugs (Forbidding Prohibited Substances in Driver's Body) | DEC/DRE Programs (Providing Law Enforcement Training) |
| Yes | |
Source: State Highway Safety Offices.
| Admin. License Suspen- sion on 1st Offense |
Limited Driving Privileges During Suspension | Inc. Penalty for High BAC | Open Container Laws | Repeat Offender Laws | Vehicle and License Plate Sanctions | Ignition Interlocks | Alcohol Exclusion Laws Limiting Treatment Opportunity | |
| 90 days | Yes | .15 | Yes | Yes | Vehicle confiscation | Discretion- ary |
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Sources: Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Learner Stage | Intermediate Stage | Full Privilege Min. Age (Yrs./Mos.) |
Required Supervised Driving Hours (Night Hours) |
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| Min. Age (Yrs./ Mos.) |
Min. Dura- tion (Mos.) |
Min. Age (Yrs./Mos.) |
Night- time Driving Restriction |
Passenger Restriction* (* family members exempt) |
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| 15 | 6 | 16 | Midnight - 5 a.m. | First 180 days–no pass. unless supervised by licensed driver with 2+ consecutive years of full licensure* (secondarily enforced) |
16 / 6 | 35 (5) | |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Motorcyclists | Bicyclists | ||
| Universal Helmet Law (Year Enacted) | Partial Law | Universal Helmet Law Repealed | |
| Passengers <18 and anyone within 1 year of obtaining a motorcycle license | 1977 | <16 (For a 2nd or subsequent violation, a $25 fine may be given.) |
|
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Length of Regular Renewal Cycle (Yrs.) | Provisions for Mature Drivers |
| 6 | Renewal every 4 yrs. for >65; vision test required for first renewal after 40th birthday and at every second renewal until 62; vision test at every renewal for >62 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Type of Law | Who is Covered (Yrs.) | In What Seat | Maximum Fine 1st Offense |
| Primary | >18 | All | $50 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Permitted on Sidewalks/Bicycle Paths | Permitted on Roads | Helmets Required | Minimum Age | Pedestrian Laws Apply |
| Sidewalks and bicycle paths | Sidewalks and bicycle paths | Yes, on streets w/ speed limits up to 35 mph if no sidewalk or bicycle path avail. | ||
Sources: Segway LLC and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Checkpoints Conducted? | Comments |
| Yes | |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Rural Interstates | Urban Interstates | Other Limited Access Roads | |||
| Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
| 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| No state law |
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Multiple of Original Fine | Violations Affected | Workers Must Be Present | |
| Double | Speeding | No | |
Sources: National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse and State Highway Safety Offices.