Auto Insurance in Maine (Full Coverage, Rates, & More)

Maine is the northernmost state in the U.S and borders the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick. The frigid winters and mild summers are some of the many factors that residents encounter in the state. Maine is 38th in population density and one of the most rural states in the U.S. The biggest metropolitan counties in Maine are Androscoggin, Cumberland, and Penobscot Counties.

But what about car insurance in Maine? Is it higher than the national average? This extensive guide will explain car insurance rates and the best companies in Maine. In addition to car insurance details, the information here will guide you to essential information needed to be an effective driver.

After reading this guide, you’ll be aware of car insurance coverage and rates, knowledgeable about the top car insurance companies, essential Maine driving laws, and what it’s like to drive in Maine.

For a quick look at car insurance rates in your area, enter your ZIP code in the Free Quote box above for instant results. To get more detailed information, continue through this guide.

Maine Car Insurance Coverage and Rates

Based on our in-house data, the State of Maine has some of the cheapest car insurance rates in the U.S. Car insurance companies in the state offer the same services as many other states but at a much cheaper rate than states like New York and Connecticut.

How come?

First, we have to consider the population size of the state. Maine’s total population is seven million less than the population of New York City. Therefore, it’s less of a risk for drivers in Maine.

In this section, we’ll introduce Maine’s car culture, the minimum coverage needed to be insured in the state, forms of financial responsibility, and premiums as a percentage of income.

Maine’s Car Culture

Maine’s car culture isn’t rich in fuel, but the origin of Maine’s car culture is steam. Kingfield twins, Francis E. and Freelan O. Stanley created steam-powered cars, establishing the Stanley Motor Carriage Company, which lasted from 1902 to 1924. Freelan and his wife were the first to drive up to New Hampshire’s North Washington. In recent years, Maine has been involved with the development of snowmobiles.

Maine Minimum Coverage

The minimum requirements for car insurance coverage in Maine is $50,000 for bodily injury of one person per accident, $100,000 for bodily injury of more than one person per accident, and $25,000 for property damage per accident. These minimum requirements can be listed as rules. In this case, Maine’s minimum requirement for insurance rule may be called a 50/100/25 rule.

Additional liabilities are required, so Maine motorists are likely to have uninsured motorist coverage and medical payments coverage. Uninsured (underinsured is likely included) is $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident, while medical payments are $2,000 per person.

Forms of Financial Responsibility

Any documentation, electronic or physical paper copies, that shows you are insured and registered in the state can be forms of financial responsibility. If you own a vehicle, these are the essentials you must carry within a motor vehicle in case you’re in an accident or pulled over by law enforcement.

A form of financial responsibility is an insurance card, policyholder statement from the car insurance provider, driver’s license, and vehicle registration.

Forms of financial responsibility are the reassurance that you’re covered financially. Many states accept electronic forms of financial responsibility but have physical copies of financial responsibility just in case.

Premiums as a Percentage of Income

Have you ever wondered how much money car insurance companies take from your income per year? Premiums, or rates, take a percentage of your income per year. Is it a significant amount? That answer is based on your income. The data table below shows how car insurance rates affect annual income.

We compared Maine’s three-year trend averages to other states in the region and the national average. As mentioned before, we see Maine as the cheapest out of all other states. Maine’s motorists barely pay two percent of their income for car insurance.

How does one determine car insurance as a percentage of income? To find the percentage of income affected by car insurance premiums, you will need to divide your annual car insurance rate into your average annual income. In this regard, we’ll use Data USA’s information, which states the average household income in Maine is $56,277. Since full coverage is $689, we’ll divide the full coverage into the household income of $56,277 (i.e., 689 / 56,277). The solution will be .012243.

The decimal number is the percent. Simply move the decimal point over two places, and you’ll get 1.22 percent. So, the premium as a percentage of household income in Maine is 1.22 percent.

Core Coverage

There are three coverage options listed in car insurance. These are known as liability, collision, and comprehensive coverages, which are options that essentially make up your car insurance policy. In Maine, the average core coverage rates are cheaper than most states. Full coverage is all three coverages combined.

Annual premiums for full coverage car insurance is $680, which is a monthly premium of $57 per month.

Let’s take a look at other available coverage options.

Comprehensive car insurance is the cheapest coverage. This coverage type pays for damages from falling objects, weather, vehicle theft, and other accidents out of your control.

Collision coverage is the second cheapest and pays for additional property damage and medical payments. So, any coverage that isn’t covered by liability insurance will be supplemented through collision coverage. This coverage can benefit both parties involved in the accident.

Finally, liability car insurance is the bare minimum required to drive on the roadways. The minimum requirements cover the cost of most of the injuries and property damage that’s occurred (or allocated) in an accident.

Additional Liability

Additional liabilities such as medical payments (MedPay), personal injury protection (PIP), uninsured/underinsured motorist (UIM/UUM), are coverages that cover situations not specified in car insurance policies. One way to see how car insurance performs with additional liabilities is to review the coverages’ loss ratios.

The loss ratio is the number of claims being paid out and the money an insurance company earns.

MedPay covers for the medical or funeral expenses of covered drivers and passengers after an accident, regardless of who’s at fault, while PIP covers medical expenses regardless of who’s at fault but includes lost wages and pain and suffering.

UIM/UUM coverage is coverage that pays for your expenses if you’re in a car accident caused by someone without car insurance, someone who is underinsured, or if you’re in a car accident with a hit-and-run motorist.

Let’s review each of these coverages and see how loss ratio affects each additional liability in Maine.

Percentages close to 100 show that the majority of car insurance companies paid their claims and earned money along the way.

For example, the loss ratio for UIM / UUM in 2014 was 55.11 percent. For every $100 that a car insurance company earned, they paid out $55 to claims. Low loss ratios reflect insurance companies’ inability to pay out claims, and loss ratios exceeding 100 show that a car insurance company isn’t earning money at all.

Add-ons, Endorsements, and Riders

You can also think about buying add-ons or riders that cover your damages in specific situations – such as roadside emergencies or mechanical breakdowns. You never know what you might face on the road, so try assessing these options before buying a policy.

For instance, what happens if you crash your rental car? What part of the policy covers that? Do take a look at the different options below for your coverage.

• Guaranteed Auto Protection (GAP)
• Personal Umbrella Policy (PUP)
• Rental Reimbursement
• Emergency Roadside Assistance
• Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
• Non-Owner Car Insurance
• Modified Car Insurance Coverage
• Classic Car Insurance
• Pay-As-You-Drive or Usage-Based Insurance

Male vs. Female Rates

Did you know that car insurance can be determined based on age, gender, and marital status? Motorists can pay more or less if they are married or single and male or female. Let’s examine the rates based on these factors.

Older and married female motorists pay significantly lower premiums per year. The most expensive rates available were for young and single drivers, especially motorists between 17 and 25 years old.

The cheapest company is USAA. Be advised that USAA is only available for military members and their immediate families.

Cheapest Rates by ZIP Code

Where you live is also a factor in determining car insurance. ZIP Codes are locations in the city in which you live but serve as identifiers when issuing a policy.

Using a ZIP code that’s different than your current address to obtain cheaper insurance is fraud.

When you’re shopping for your policy, use your current home address. If you’re a student, use your last permanent home address or your current permanent address.

For now, let’s continue with examining annual premiums based on ZIP codes. Let’s start with examining the cheapest ZIP codes in Maine.

The cheapest ZIP code in Maine is “04742,” which is Fort Fairfield, ME, and Limestone Maine. The average annual rate is roughly $2,404. That’s about $200 per month.

Now, let’s look at the most expensive ZIP codes in Maine.

The ZIP code “04684” had the most expensive annual premium. This ZIP code covers Surry, ME, and Mount Desert, ME. The average annual rate for “04684” is $2,786, which is $232 per month.

Cheapest Rates by City

Let’s make our search less specific and explore cities with the highest and lowest annual premiums. First, let’s look at Maine’s top 25 cheapest cities.

Fort Fairfield, Mapleton, Portage, Blaine, and Mars Hill are the top five cheapest rates in Maine.

What Maine’s most expensive cities. Let’s take another look at average annual rates, but let’s examine Maine’s top 25 most expensive cities.

Surry, Danville, and Auburn, ME, are the most expensive. Their average annual rates are nearly $3,000, which is higher the state average.

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Best Car Insurance Companies in Maine

What are the best car insurance companies? That answer is solely up to you. Although we’re here to inform you on car insurance premiums, services, and agency ratings, we remain objective in providing information. Perhaps, the cheapest rating isn’t in your best interest, or perhaps you require the minimum for your insurance.

This section will cover car insurance ratings and factors that can determine car insurance premiums per year.

The Largest Companies Financial Rating

There are several ways to show the size of a car insurance company. One of them is through financial ratings or financial strength. The Insurance Information Institute lists five agencies that rate the financial strength of some of the best companies in the U.S. Each company has its rating system. Sometimes, their rating disagrees, but they often align in their evaluation of companies in the U.S.

The data table here shows ratings from A.M. Best, a rating agency that grades each major insurance company on their financial strength. Let’s look at their results.

Under “Direct Premiums Written,” Erie and State Farm had the most, totaling over a million dollars. Due to their financial performance, they had the largest market share as well. Farmers, Geico, and USAA had the largest loss ratio.

Market share is the percentage of a particular industry.

“Direct premiums written” represents the growth of a car insurance company’s, or any other insurance, business during a given period.

It includes policies written by the car insurance company and policies written by its affiliated companies.

Overall, all the companies here have an excellent rating from A.M. Best.

Companies with Best Ratings

Another way to show the strength of an insurance company is through consumer satisfaction results. J.D. Power reports overall consumer or customer satisfaction results through their annual press release. Rather than covering each state, J.D. Power covers each region of the U.S. For Maine, that region would be the New England region of the U.S.

The rating results from J.D. Power are measured on a 1,000-point scale. Circle ratings are like the summarized ratings from their surveys.

Amica Mutual and USAA had the highest points in J.D. Power’s press release. The lowest scored insurance company was The Hanover and Safeco. Overall, the New England Region had a fair customer satisfaction report with 821 points and three circle ratings from J.D. Power.

Companies with Most Complaints in Maine

Complaints can turn potential customers away. Without complaints, however, a company may be vulnerable to mistakes. How so? If there’s something wrong with a policy, or if something isn’t filed properly in terms of car insurance, a customer should file a complaint.

When complaints are ignored and remain unresolved, you could pay more for insurance, lose your insurance policy, or never receive a claim.

If something is wrong, a policyholder should do their due diligence and make your concerns known.

Too many complaints may be that you may want to monitor your policy with the car insurance closely. The judgment call is up to you as the potential policyholder.

Here is some data regarding complaints of some of the biggest car insurance companies in the U.S.

Geico, Progressive, and State Farm had the most complaints. Geico’s complaint ratio is the highest out of all the companies in the data. Nationwide, known for its higher than average annual rate, had the lowest complaints.

Cheapest Companies in Maine

We talked about how core coverage is $680 per year in Maine. When establishing your policy with a company, you’re likely to pay more. That’s because different factors determine how much you’ll pay for car insurance premiums. Those factors could be annual commute mileage, coverage level, credit history, or driving record.

When all factors are estimated, the total state average is $2,610. Let’s see what happens when we compare Maine’s average with all the major companies in the state.

Remember, the Maine state average is an estimate when we consider commute, level of coverage, credit, and driving record.

Geico and USAA policyholders pay $1,000 less than the state average while Liberty Mutual and Progressive customers pay over $1,000 more for car insurance.

Commute Rates by Companies

Now that we’ve mentioned the factors, let’s explore them more. Car insurance companies may issue car insurance rates based on the number of miles you drive during the year. They estimate these rates through two categories: 6,000 annual mileage and 12,000 annual mileage.

Some car insurance companies don’t charge more on premiums regardless of the miles you drive per year. Let’s look at the companies that do and the companies that don’t.

Allstate, Farmers, Progressive, and Travelers issue the same annual rate regardless of how much you drive your vehicle. Geico, Liberty Mutual, State Farm, and USAA issue different amounts. Geico State Farm, Travelers, and USAA are the only companies with annual rates that lower than Maine’s average annual rate.

Coverage Level Rates by Companies

Coverage levels are a bit more detailed. In Maine, the core coverage for full coverage car insurance is $680, but that’s only the lowest coverage level available. What if you want a coverage level that’s higher than the minimum requirements?

The state minimum is considered a low coverage level, but it’s efficient for most policies in Maine. Medium and high coverage levels cost more per year, but they cover more. The rule for medium coverage levels in Maine is 50/100/50, while high coverage levels are the 100/300/100 rule.

Medium and high coverages will cover accidents that exceed the minimum required limits. This is helpful just in case the total cost of property damage and injuries exceed the minimum requirements.

The distance between the annual costs is not far off. It’s more beneficial to go with medium or high coverage if the annual premiums from low coverage are a few dollars less. The most expensive companies are Liberty Mutal and Progressive.

Credit History Rates by Companies

Your credit score can determine how much you pay for car insurance. Annual rates determined by credit score have a higher percentage to be more expensive. The better your credit score, the less you’ll pay annually.

Liberty Mutual’s poor credit value is $3,400 more than the Maine state average, which is the most expensive car insurance rate in the table. Liberty Mutual and Progressive are the only two companies that issue higher than average car insurance premiums, even if you have good credit. Geico, State Farm, and USAA have the cheapest annual rates across credit history values.

Driving Record Rates by Companies

A motorist’s driving performance can determine how much you’ll pay for car insurance, also. It’s important to keep a clean driving record. It makes it easier for you to register a motor vehicle, and it ultimately saves you money. Car insurance companies consider your driving record.

The more violations you have, the higher the risk for you to be insured. Therefore, car insurance companies will assess your record and determine your driving record.

Here are some annual averages you can expect with various driving records.

Some companies show some leniency if you have a speeding violation on your record, which is shown when you compare clean record rates to speeding violation rates. For example, Geico issues the same rate for a clean record and one speeding violation. Also, USAA issues a $101 to motorists who have one speeding violation.

Accidents and DUI violations can increase your annual rates pass the Maine state average. Allstate, Farmers, Liberty Mutual, and Progressive are some of those companies that issue higher than average rates, especially if a motorist has an accident or is convicted of DUI.

Largest Car Insurance Companies in Maine

When we talked about the largest car insurance companies and their financial strength, we covered it with a broad stroke. How did these companies perform in Maine? Let’s look at the largest car insurance companies in a narrowed scope.

Progressive and State Farm had the largest direct premiums written and market share in Maine, but the company with most loss ratio was Geico and USAA.

Number of Insurers in Maine

Insurers are another name for car insurance companies. Each state has two types of insurers, which are domestic and foreign.

Domestic insurers are car insurance companies that follow the rule of car insurance law in the home state. In this case, that would be Maine. Foreign insurers are car insurance companies that follow the rule of the car insurance law of another state.

Maine has a total of 705 insurers in the state.

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Maine Laws

It’s important to know some of the laws of the state. To know every law of the state is nearly impossible. We’ve summarized the laws you’ll need to be familiar with as a motorist in Maine. Some of those laws include how car insurance law is determined, windshield coverage, high-risk insurance, low-cost insurance, car insurance fraud, the statute of limitations, and specific laws of Maine.

Car Insurance Laws

In respects to the guide, let’s begin with car insurance laws. Bookmark this section to explore the details whenever you need them continuously.

How Maine Laws for Insurance are Determined

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) reported that Maine is a File-and-Use state.

File-and-use laws refer to insurance regulations that allow insurance companies to use new rates it has formulated before receiving approval from the state governments in the US.

This means car insurance companies can issue increases to annual rates before the rates are approved by insurance regulatory authorities. If car insurance companies cannot justify or prove why the rates should increase, insurance regulatory authorities will cancel the increases.

Therefore, if a company’s annual rate increases but the company can’t justify why they increased annual policies for its customers, the increase will be denied.

Windshield Coverage

Windshields can be covered under comprehensive coverage. Some states require car insurance companies have a zero deductible for windshield coverage.

Car insurance companies in Maine aren’t subject by law to give zero deductibles for windshield coverage.

Windshields can be replaced with aftermarket parts and used parts. Aftermarket, or non-OEM parts, must be of like quality.

High-Risk Insurance

Driving records with excessive motor vehicle violations and car accidents could make a motorist a high-risk driver. High-risk drivers may have a hard time finding car insurance. Some car insurance companies may deny you a car insurance policy if they find that you’re too risky. If you can’t find car insurance through the voluntary market, a motorist must enroll in high-risk insurance.

In Maine, the high-risk insurance plan is known as the Maine Auto Insurance Plan (MEAIP). To be eligible to enroll in MEAIP, you must attempt to find car insurance. If you can’t find car insurance in the voluntary market after 60 days, go to your local DMV in Maine and explain that you’re a high-risk driver, and you can’t find insurance. You’ll like to be under SR-22 or FR-44.

Once you file the necessary documents, MEAIP will assign you to a car insurance company.

Due to the high-risk or SR-22 status, you’ll pay higher than average rates.

MEAIP will last at least three years. After three years, you can try the voluntary market again. If car insurance companies still consider you as a high-risk, you’ll have to repeat the process over again.

Low-Cost Insurance

The lowest cost for insurance in Maine is the core coverage insurance. Unfortunately, there aren’t any additional insurance companies that are cheaper than core coverage insurance. Also, there isn’t a state-sponsored insurance company in Maine. Consult each insurance company when shop to see if there are discounts for low-income policyholders.

Automobile Insurance Fraud in Maine

All fraud is a crime in the U.S. Some cases of fraud come with fines, and some come with prison sentences. Car insurance laws against fraud are complicated, but car insurance companies are prepared in case fraud is attempted by an at-fault or no-fault party. By law, car insurance companies must have programs that exercise fraud prevention.

In addition to fraud prevention programs, car insurance has immunity statutes that say, “insurance companies can report information without fear of criminal or civil prosecution.” All states in the U.S. are under this statute.

Policyholders can report fraud as well. If you suspect that you’re being frauded by a no-fault driver, send file a complaint with Maine’s governing insurance department. Here is their contact information:

Bureau of Insurance
34 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
Phone: (207) 624-8475; Toll Free: 1 (800) 300-5000

Statute of Limitations

The statute of limitations is the time limit in which you can file a claim or pursue legal action against another party or car insurance.

The statute of limitations begins when the event happens, not when the event (like a car accident) is reported.

All claims and legal pursuits that involve personal injury or property damage have a statute of limitations of six years.

Specific Laws of Maine

This is the fun section of our guides. Every state has laws specific to them. Some of the laws unique to the state are fun to know. Here are a few specific to Maine.

Did you know it’s illegal to park your car in front of Dunkin’ Donuts in South Berwick, Maine?

It’s also illegal to play the violin on the streets of Augusta, Maine. No one is allowed to roller skate on the sidewalk in Biddeford, Maine. Maine has a statewide law that says residents who have Christmas decorations up after January 14th will be fined.

Vehicle Licensing Laws

As near your search to get your car(s) insured, be aware of the vehicle licensing laws. All motorists require a driver’s license and vehicle registration to be insured with any company. There are other laws you should be aware of as motorists in living in Maine. We’ll go through each law carefully.

REAL ID

The Department of Homeland Security is making REAL ID a requirement for U.S. citizens who want to fly domestically or enter a federal facility. By October 2020, a regular driver’s license will not be sufficient to use for flying within the U.S. or entering a federal building.

Maine is compliant with Homeland Security’s REAL ID enforcement. So how can a Maine resident obtain a REAL ID? We’ve provided a short video on how you can get obtain one.

Penalties for Driving Without Insurance

Driving without car insurance is risky. Not only do you risk getting into a car accident, but you also risk not being compensated for damages and risk getting any future driving privileges revoked.

The penalty for driving without insurance in Maine is up to six months in jail, a fine no less than $100 and no more than $500.

In addition to possible jail time and fines, a motorist will have their driver’s license and vehicle registration suspended or revoked.

Teen Driver Laws

Teen driver laws are extensive laws that ensure the safety of teen drivers through careful steps. Each state in the U.S. examines the teen’s driver training and restrictions until the teen old enough to drive own their own.

Because the process is so long, we’ve summarized the steps each teen needs to take to obtain their driver’s license.

In the learner stage, the minimum age for teens to get any driving privileges in Maine is 15 years old. Teen in the learner stage can receive a permit and must hold it for at least six months, drive 60 daylight hours and 10 nighttime hours. By 16 years old, teens will be entering the intermediate stage. They may drive their vehicle any during the day but are restricted from driving from midnight to 5 a. m. They cannot have unlicensed passengers. Nighttime restrictions last for nine months.

After the nine months are up, the 16-year-old can drive with the restrictions lifted. After this stage, they can try out for a full driver’s license. A road, eyes, and skills test must be completed and passed to receive a driver’s license.

Maine law requires a three-step graduated driver licensing system for new drivers who are under 18 years of age. Also, there are restrictions for drivers under 21 years of age. These laws are intended to allow Maine’s younger drivers to gain sufficient driving experience under low-risk conditions.

Older Driver License Renewal Procedures

Driver’s license renewal is essential for licensed drivers in the U.S. However, some individuals have to renew more frequent than others. For older drivers, they have to renew much sooner than the general population.

Drivers who are 65 years and older must renew their Maine driver’s license every four years. In addition to renewal, drivers 62 years and older must pass a vision test. Due to the vision test requirements, drivers 62 years and older are not permitted to renew their license online or by mail.

New Residents

If you’re seeking permanent residency in Maine, you’ll need a Maine driver’s license. To obtain a Maine driver’s license you will need to provide proof that you are a U.S. citizen.

You must provide proof of identity, so you’ll need items such as social security number, birth certificate, or out-of-state driver’s license. Once identity has been verified, you’ll need to complete a vision screening. If your legal name has been changed due to marriage, divorce or by court order, you’re required to show supporting documentation such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or other court documentation.

New drivers must submit an application form and pay the $35 fee. If the new driver is under 18 years old, they must submit documentation that they’ve completed a driver’s course.

The application can be submitted at your local Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV or DMV) branch or mailed to:

Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Driver License Services Division
Examination Section
29 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0029

License Renewal Procedures

Unlike older drivers in Maine, residents under 62 years old can renew their license online and by mail. License renewal happens every six years. A vision screening is not required until a motorist is over 40 years old. After 40,  a vision screening is required for every other renewal.

Negligent Operator Treatment System (NOTS)

All states have some sort of negligent operator treatment system (NOTS). If you commit traffic or road violations, you could get demerit points on your driver’s license. Here’s a list of demerit points you can get on your license.

Maine identifies reckless driving as “driving to endanger.”

The penalties of “driving to endanger” depend on how the law identifies it. The penalty for driving to endangers is standard “driving to endanger and aggravated “driving to endanger.”

Here are the penalties you can face upon conviction. Standard driving to endanger is a  class E crime. Convicted motorists can face up to six months in jail, a $1,000 in fines, and a license suspension of 30-180 days.

Aggravated driving to endanger is when an offender causes serious bodily injury to another person, which is a class C crime. The offender faces up to five years in jail, a maximum of $5,000 in fines, and a license suspension of 180 days to two years.

Rules of the Road

Before we move on to vehicle safety, let’s talk about some of the rules on Maine’s roadways. Most roadways laws are specific to each state, but some are similar to other states. We’ll start with whether Maine is a fault or no-fault state, then move onto seat belt laws, keep right laws, speed limit laws, ridesharing, and automation on the road.

Fault vs. No-Fault

Maine is an at-fault state, which means the at-fault party assumes all liability. In other words, the at-fault person who caused the car accident is responsible for all property damages and medical costs.

This is why being insured is so important. Car insurance coverage ensures that you are financially responsible and that you’re covered from out-of-pocket costs. Although your car insurance rates may increase, the person not at fault will be compensated.

To be sure that you’re covered whether you’re at-fault or not, enroll in a sufficient car insurance coverage to combat unsuspected costs.

Seat Belt and Car Seat Laws

Car seat belt law is universal. Wherever motor vehicles and roadways come together, seat belt laws are likely to follow. In Maine, seat belt law is straight forward, like most states in the U.S.

Seat belt law became effective on December 26, 1995, in Maine. By September 20, 2007, seat belt law became a primary offense, which means law enforcement can pull over a driver not wearing a seat belt. Anyone all licensed drivers and passengers must wear a seat belt. The penalty for not wearing a seat belt carries a fine of $50

Child seat laws are more extensive.

Children younger than 2 years old must be in a child safety seat. Also, children 2 years old and older and weigh less than 55 lbs must be in a child safety seat or a child restraint system. Children who are 8 years old and younger and weigh less than 80 lbs and are shorter than 57 inches must be in a booster seat.

Passengers who are 17 and younger and taller than 57 inches or weigh over 80 lbs must use a seat belt. Children who are 11 years old and younger and weigh less than 100 lbs must be in the rear passenger seat.

The fine for not seating children in the proper restraint carries a $50 for the first offense.

Keep Right and Move Over Laws

Maine roadway law dictates that drivers remain on the right to allow express traffic to pass. Left lanes are designed for passing or for commuters turning left.

The state law of Maine also requires drivers traveling in the same direction as an emergency vehicle or drivers approaching a stationary emergency vehicle displaying flashing lights to vacate to the closest available lane slowly and safely. Vehicles included are towing vehicles, utility vehicles, and law enforcement vehicles.

Speed Limits

Maine speed limits are similar to metropolitan area speed limits. This may be due to the miles of rural roadways in the state. Rural, urban, and other limited roads in Maine have a speed limit of 75 mph. Other roadways that don’t identify as high traffic roadways are 60 mph. Common residential speed limits are from 15 mph to 25 mph.

Ridesharing

Ridesharing has been popular since the invention of the taxi and public transit. Recently, motorists around the world use their vehicles to transport commuters to their destinations. Services like Uber and Lyft have made it possible for the average motorist to use their vehicle as their taxi service.

Some motorists use their car insurance policy to insure their Uber or Lyft vehicles. There are special insurance options for ridesharing services. However, some companies don’t offer specialized insurances for ridesharing vehicles. Geico and State Farm do.

Automation on the Road

Maine is one of the states that’s in the testing phase of automation on the road. They haven’t initiated it into law yet. While Maine is testing automation on the road, they require testers to insure these automated vehicles.

Here’s a short video of some automation on the road in Maine.

Safety Laws

The final point in this section is safety laws. These laws are designed to keep all motorists safe on the road. Law enforcement and state government have a zero-tolerance approach toward safety laws and almost always convicts motorists who violate safety law.

DUI Laws

Driving under the influence (DUI) is one of the strict laws in the U.S. Maine identifies DUIs as Operator Under the Influence (OUI). OUIs or DUIs injure and even kill many people per year. When law enforcement arrests someone who is driving drunk, they come down on that motorist hard. We’ve summarized OUI laws in this sub-section to give you a more visual view of what a motorist will face if they are convicted of OUI in Maine.

The washout period for an OUI offense is 10 years, which means state courts forgive OUIs after a decade. Repeat offenders have stiffer sentences and higher fines. If a motorist has more than four OUIs, they could face felony OUI.

Marijuana-Impaired Driving Laws

Maine has no law regarding marijuana-impaired drivers because marijuana is legal in Maine. Not only is it legal, but it has been decriminalized entirely. Although it’s legal, motorists who indulge in marijuana should indulge responsibly. It’s in your best interest not to drive while under the influence of marijuana.

Distracted Driving Laws

Distracted driving or hands-free law has been advocated by people across the U.S. So many accidents have occurred due to distracted driving. Lawmakers have taken steps to curve these accidents and increase awareness for motorists.

Maine has outlawed texting while driving for all drivers. Any driver under the age of 18 is banned from using a cellphone while operating a motor vehicle. The hands-free law in Maine is a primary offense enforcement law, so if you’re caught using your phone while driving, there’s a chance that you’ll get a ticket.

Driving Safely in Maine

Part of driving safely in roadways is being informed of the possible dangers for motorists. Thefts and roadway fatalities are recorded each year. As much as law enforcement and other governing bodies try to reduce each, they do happen.

This section of the guide will go through some vehicle theft data and fatality data in the state of Maine. We’ll also feature some other data such as EMS response time and teen drinking and driving data.

Vehicle Theft in Maine

Although Maine is not densely populated like other states, it still encounters its share of vehicle thefts. Motorists can protect themselves from the financial perils of vehicle theft under comprehensive car insurance coverage. This will give a motorist extra padding when filing a police report and compensating for the possible total loss of a vehicle.

Let’s look at some vehicle theft data for Maine.

These are the top 10 vehicles stolen in Maine. Vehicle thieves stole more cars made by Chevrolet than any other brand.

When we look at vehicle theft in a much broader view, we’ll see these numbers increase. Let’s review the vehicle theft by city.

The top three cities with the most thefts are Portland, Lewiston, and Bangor, Maine. Twenty cities in Maine had zero vehicle thefts.

Road Fatalities in Maine

This sub-section will reveal the number of fatalities in Maine. The data we’ve retrieved comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Each data table covers fatalities in a 3-5-year trend to show how fatality data changes each year. However, the changes may or may not influence car insurance premiums.

Most Fatal Highway in Maine

Before we move on to the NHTSA data, let’s talk about the most dangerous highway in Maine. Geotab lists the most fatal highways in the U.S.

For Maine, the most fatal highway is U.S. Highway 1 (US-1). US-1 stretches across the Atlantic coast and the border of Canada. Geotab estimates that there are at least nine fatal crashes per year on US-1.

Fatal Crashes by Weather Condition and Light Condition

Weather can be a factor in fatal crashes, also. The National Weather Service and Departments of Transportation encourage motorists to be cautious during harsh weather conditions. Let’s review the fatalities based on weather and light conditions.

The most fatalities due to the weather and light conditions happened during the day and under normal conditions.

Fatalities (All Crashes) by County

The NHTSA is an extensive data compilation of all the traffic data in the U.S. For this data table, we’ll be covering all the fatalities by county in Maine.

In the past five years, Cumberland County had the most fatalities of any county in Maine. Piscataquis County had the lowest rate of fatalities in the state.

Traffic Fatalities

What areas in Maine were most affected by traffic fatalities? We can assume which areas, but let’s have the data speak for itself.

There were more traffic fatalities in Maine’s rural areas. Maine’s urban areas have a small share of traffic fatalities.

Fatalities by Person Type

What type of vehicle is likely to be a fatal accident in Maine? Let’s review those numbers closely.

In a five-year trend, passenger cars are likely to encounter fatal accidents.

Fatalities by Crash Type

Why don’t we show some specifics to each crash type? When we narrow the data, we can see the fatalities for each crash type.

Total fatalities refer to the number of fatalities in the state and not the total fatalities in the table. Therefore, out of 131 fatalities in 2014, 10 of those fatalities involved a large truck.

Five-Year Trend For The Top 10 Counties

Let’s examine the top 10 counties in Maine with the most fatalities.

Portland, which is the largest city in Maine, is located in Cumberland County. Due to the city’s size, it’s more populated than most cities in Maine.

Fatalities Involving Speeding by County

One of the reasons law enforcement and state courts are so tough on speedsters on the road is the rate of fatalities. How does speed fatalities affect Maine’s counties?

Piscataquis County has the least fatalities followed by Lincoln County.

Fatalities in Crashes Involving an Alcohol-Impaired Driver by County

Finally, let’s examine alcohol-impaired driver fatalities by county.

York County had the most fatalities involving alcohol-impaired drivers.

Teen Drinking and Driving

Speaking of alcohol-impaired drivers, how many teens are arrested per year for drunk driving? Let’s look at those numbers and compared them to other states near Maine.

Maine had more teen DUI arrest than the other three states. Delaware didn’t have any teen DUI arrests.

EMS Response Time

How fast does EMS respond to the fatal crashes in Maine? Response time is important to saving lives. Even if the crash is fatal, EMS rushes to the scene as fast as possible. Let’s look at the average times for EMS response.

Maine’s rural areas have a longer response time. This may be due to the distance in miles from the hospital to the fatal crash site. These times vary. Some response times may be faster than average if traffic conditions are fair or good. Expect longer response times during peak hours of the day or night.

Transportation in Maine

Maine is mostly rural land. Because there are so many rural areas, there are a lot of highways and other access roads that require a motor vehicle or some other type of transportation. This final sub-section will explore the common methods of travel, car ownership in Maine, commute time, and traffic congestion data.

Car Ownership

Data USA reported that 45 percent of Maine’s motorists own two cars per household. Twenty-one percent of Maine’s households owned three cars, while approximately 20 percent own one car per household.

Commute Time

Commute times refer to the time it takes to get from home to the workplace. The U.S. average commute time is 26 minutes. Maine’s commute time is averaged at 23 minutes. About two percent of people in Maine have super commutes, which are commutes that are 90 minutes or longer.

Commuter Transportation

We talked about how much land of Maine was rural land and how minimal urban areas were in comparison to it. Let’s review the most common method of travel.

Most drivers in Maine drove alone to work, according to Data USA reports. An estimated 79 percent of people drove alone to work. Roughly nine percent carpooled while six percent of people worked from home.

Traffic Congestion

There are several agencies worldwide that monitor the forecast of traffic conditions. Some of those agencies only cover popular cities in the world, but Numbeo has a few entries that contain cities not shown in other agencies. We decided to show some traffic congestion data from the largest city in Maine, which is Portland.

Before we show you data, let’s talk about the meaning of the terms used in the data.

A Traffic Index is a composite index of time consumed in traffic. It includes commutes to the workplace, dissatisfaction with estimated time consumption, estimated CO₂ consumption in traffic, and overall traffic system inefficiencies. Time Index is an average one-way time needed to transport, which is measured in minutes. Time Exp. Index is dissatisfaction due to long commute times.

Numbeo explains Time Exp. Index as an assumption that the dissatisfaction of commute times increases with each minute in traffic, especially if commute time is longer than 25 minutes.

Inefficiency Index estimates traffic inefficiencies. High inefficiencies information is based on when people drive a car instead of using public transportation or have super commutes times. It’s often used as a traffic component to measure economies.

CO₂ Emission Index is estimating CO₂ consumption due to the time in traffic. The unit of measurement is in grams for the return trip. To calculate the average estimation of emission in grams, divide the CO₂ Emission Index by two.

Now that you know the terms, let’s examine the traffic congestion information from Portland, Maine.

To simplify, we’ll analyze the traffic index data. The traffic index in Portland, Maine, is about 110 minutes. This means the total average commute time from home to work, and vice versa takes about 110 minutes.

The average commute time is estimated at 23 minutes. Peak hours increase average commute time. Peak hours are 8 a. m. and 5 p. m., which may extend commutes by about 21 minutes. Expect commute time to increase during harsh weather conditions, also.

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Conclusion

Our guides are strictly for informing our readers of what to expect as they shop for car insurance in a designated state. Maine is one of the cheapest states for car insurance. This can be refreshing for new residents who previously paid for more expensive premiums in other states.

Through this guide, you’re more aware of the perils of unsafe driving practices and know your chances of vehicle crashes. Although we can’t name all the laws of Maine, we’ve given you the essential law information to help you prepare for Maine’s roadways.

Take a second look at some car insurance rates in your area. Use our free quote tool below. Simply enter your ZIP code in the box below to receive car insurance results in your area.

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