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AGENCY INFORMATION

• About Us
• Highway Safety Grants
• Highway Safety Facts
• Impaired Driving
• Maine Driving Dynamics
• Safety Restraints
  • Air Bags
  • Child Safety Seats
  • Safety Belts
  • Child Passenger Safety Technician Training
  • Child Safety Seat Fitting Stations
  • Maine Child Passenger Safety Seat Program Locations
• Maine Highway Crash Data

Safety Restraints

Adults

Maine’s New Primary Belt Law! Effective September 20, 2007

When a person 18 years of age or older is an operator or a passenger of a vehicle that is required by the US Department of Transportation to be equipped with seatbelts, that operator or passenger must be properly secured in a seat belt.

A violation of this law is a traffic infraction for which a fine of $50 for the first offense, $125 for the 2nd offense and $250 for the 3rd and subsequent offenses must be imposed. A fine imposed under this law may not be suspended by the court.

A vehicle, the contents of a vehicle, the driver of or a passenger in a vehicle may not be inspected or searched solely because of a violation of this subsection.

A person detained solely for a violation of this law before April 1, 2008 may only be issued a warning.

View the Safety Belts section for more information on safety belt use.

Children

The law in Maine states that all children must be properly secured in a child safety seat when riding in a vehicle. 

The safest seat:

1. fits your child's weight and height
2. fits your vehicle
3. is the one used correctly every trip

View the Child Safety Seats section for more information on the correct type of child safety seat for each child age group.

Maine Fitting Stations

Do you need your Child's Safety Seat checked for correct installation in the vehicle and/or to know if it's the proper seat for your child? View a list of Maine Fitting Stations.

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