This New Law In Maine Will Change The Way You Take Road Trips
By Michelle|Published July 14, 2019
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Michelle
Author
Michelle's life is a colorful map of exploration and adventure. From the iconic streets of New York to the sunny shores of Florida, the jagged coast of Maine to the rugged terrain of Montana, she's been fortunate to call some of America's most beautiful states home. Beyond the U.S., Michelle's wanderlust has taken her on a motorcycle journey through India, led her to teach English in Hanoi, and saw her studying Spanish in Guatemala. Michelle graduated with a communications degree from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and in addition to a career in advertising has worked with OnlyInYourState since 2016, where her love for travel and storytelling converges. Alongside writing and exploring, Michelle finds joy in photography, staying active, and time with her family.
For questions, comments and inquiries please email: mstarin@onlyinyourstate.com.
Roadtripping through Maine is one of the best things you can do with some spare time. Whether you’re heading to the mountains, going straight for the beach or have no real plans in mind, there’s nothing that can’t be fixed with a little time on the open road. If you’re a regular reader you’ll know how much we love a good road trip. We’ve even included a few of our favorites at the end of this article!
While we encourage everyone to explore everything the state has to offer, we thought you’d all want to know about the new law that goes into effect in September 2019. In short, handheld phones are now banned. Here’s everything you need to know.
The roads in Maine are some of the most beautiful in New England.
A new Maine law aims to bring a stop to that. Janet Mills recently signed "An Act to Prohibit the Use of Handheld Devices and Phones While Driving (LD 165)" which means that any use of unnecessary electronics while driving will be against the law.
Beginning in September, drivers here will no longer be allowed to use their hands to operate any technology while they're driving. That includes cell phones, GPS and anything else that might distract from the road.
Most importantly, this law also makes it illegal to text or use your phone while stopped at a light or a stop sign. So, even if your car is not moving you're going to want to keep that cell phone away from your hands.
If you need to change the driving directions using maps or text someone that you'll be late, the law expects you to pull over and do so with your vehicle off.
While holding your phone will soon be illegal, you can still have conversations using a headset or speaker. As long as your attention remains on the road and you're over the age of 18, chat away!
A few other things you can do? To avoid texting, you can ask your phone to read you your text messages. If you're using your phone to play music, you can use your finger to swipe to another song. In an emergency, you can use your phone to contact emergency or law enforcement
You'll also want to remember that even texting or using your phone in a private parking lot (say, the bank or a grocery store) will now be illegal. While there are no rules for your or how you must mount your phone if you plan on using it in a hands-free way, you'll want to be sure it doesn't interfere with how you actually operate the vehicle.
And, of course, the question you’re all asking: what’s the fine? Those in violation of the new law will be subject to no less than a $50 fine for a offense and not less than $250 for a second or subsequent offense in a three-year period.
Now, onto the road trips! Check these out the next time the open road calls: