Maine Seat Belt Law

Seat Belt Regulations

Under Maine's combined seat belt/child restraint law, all motor vehicle occupants, 18 years of age and older, must wear a safety belt when riding in a vehicle that the U.S. Department of Transportation requires to have seat belts. You are exempt from the law if you have certification from your physician that a medical condition prohibits you from wearing a seat belt. Maine's secretary of state issues windshield placards, similar to handicap parking placards, to individuals who qualify for this exception.

The child restraint portion of Maine's law covers all minors in the state. The law permits adult safety belt use for youth between the ages of 8 and 17 as well as other children who are taller than 4-foot-9-inches. Children between 40 and 80 pounds who are under 8 years old must use a child safety seat, typically a booster seat, that lifts them up so that an adult seat belt fits properly, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The statute requires a child safety seat for all kids who weigh less than 40 pounds.

NHTSA notes that Maine implemented a primary seat belt law on Sept. 20, 2007, that took full effect on April 1, 2008, after an "educational grace period." Under primary enforcement, Maine law enforcement officials can stop motorists for the sole purpose of issuing a seat belt citation, which carries a $50 maximum fine for a first offense. The old secondary law only permitted the police to hand out seat belt tickets after stopping Maine drivers for another traffic offense. Violation of the child restraint law results in $50 penalty as well.

Maine's seat belt usage rate increased in the months following the switch to a primary seat belt law, based on data from an NHTSA study. Daytime seat belt usage rose from 77 to 84 percent, while the nighttime rate climbed from 69 to 81 percent. Overall, Maine's 2008 compliance rate was 83 percent--equal to the national average--up from 79.8 percent in 2007.

Maine's occupant protection laws have come a long way over the years. The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety (BHS) notes that in 1983, children from birth to 4 years old needed to ride in a child safety seat. By 1991, the law covered persons up to 19 years of age. In 1997, the Maine Legislature ruled that the driver is responsible for properly securing minors, while individuals 18 years of age and older assume responsibility for themselves.