Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children under the age of fourteen. The U.S. recorded 1,184 traffic fatalities of children fourteen or younger in 2021, an increase of approximately 8% from the 1,101 deaths in 2020.
To change this statistic, Maine implemented mandatory car seat laws to maximize children’s safety while riding in vehicles.
Violating these laws can result in traffic infractions and monetary fines, but these penalties pale compared to the devastating injuries unrestrained children can suffer in car crashes.
Maine frequently passes new car seat laws as car seat safety experts make recommendations.
If you have questions about car seat laws in Maine, contact Mann Law today at 207-709-0900 to talk to a car accident attorney.
Car seats differ based on the age and size of the child needing the seat.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), car seats reduce fatal injury by 71% for infants under one and 54% for toddlers between one and four years old in passenger vehicles.
This is based on children being in the correct car seat for their age and size. Car seat manuals will include labels and guides for height and weight specifications.
Although not required by law, most car seats must be replaced if they are involved in an accident. The car seat manufacturer can provide more information about whether your car seat falls into this category.
In compliance with Maine car seat laws, children must remain in a rear-facing safety seat until they reach the age of two.
Subsequently, they should be secured in a forward-facing seat with a harness until they weigh 55 lbs. Failure to adhere to these regulations may result in fines of up to $250.
Many infant seats can only be used as rear-facing car seats. Rear-facing seats provide the highest level of protection and should be utilized as long as possible. All types of rear-facing car seats have a five-point harness seat belt.
According to Maine car seat laws, a rear-facing must be used for children under two years old unless the child exceeds the weight and height limits recommended by the manufacturer.
Many convertible car seats begin as rear-facing seats. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing height limit, you can turn the car seat around and attach it with a top tether to the vehicle.
Children typically stay in a forward-facing car seat between the years of three and six. Forward-facing car seats still include a five-point harness system as a seatbelt and offer more protection than a basic seatbelt.
The Maine 5-point harness law requires parents to restrain a child in a harness as long as the child weighs less than fifty-five pounds.
The car seat utilized after outgrowing a forward-facing car seat is called a booster seat. A booster seat goes in the backseat of a vehicle and helps the seatbelt sit correctly on a child’s body.
The seat belt should fit snugly across their upper thighs, not across their stomach, and lie across their chest and shoulder.
Maine booster seat laws require children under 8 years old, weighing less than 80 pounds, and under 57 inches tall to use a booster seat.
Maine car seat laws require children under 2 to ride in a rear-facing car seat. Children over 2 but under 55 pounds must use a forward-facing car seat with a harness. Children under 8 who weigh less than 80 pounds and are shorter than 57 inches must use a booster seat. Children under 12 who weigh less than 100 pounds should ride in the back seat.
Securing a child under two years of age in anything other than a rear-facing car seat is against the law in Maine.
Securing a child under fifty-five pounds in anything other than a child restraint system with an internal harness is also against the law.
Let children sit in the front seat only if they are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall and over age 13. This ensures the seatbelt fits safely and avoids airbag injuries. In California, children under 8 must use proper restraints, and those 8 or older should still ride in the back for safety.
Under Maine’s current car seat laws, children under age two must ride in a rear-facing car seat, and older children must use age-appropriate restraints based on their size and weight until they meet specific size requirements to use a standard seat belt safely. Maine requires children to remain in a forward-facing seat with a harness until they reach 55 pounds, after which a booster seat is required. Fines for violations range from $50 to $250 and increase for repeat offenses, but the far greater concern is the risk of serious injury or death to an improperly restrained child in a crash.
Maine car seat law focuses on weight and size rather than age alone. Children must use a rear-facing seat until age two, then a forward-facing seat until they reach 55 pounds, and then a booster seat until the vehicle’s adult seat belt fits properly across their chest and lap. The safest approach is always to keep children in each type of seat for as long as they fit within the manufacturer’s height and weight limits, since those limits are designed to maximize protection in a crash.
Maine requires children who have outgrown their forward-facing harness seat to use a booster seat until the vehicle’s seat belt fits them correctly without one, meaning the lap belt lies flat across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt crosses the chest rather than the neck. Most children need a booster seat until they are around eight to twelve years old and reach approximately 4 feet 9 inches in height, though the fit of the seat belt is the true determining factor. Using a booster seat that is too small or skipping it entirely significantly increases the risk of serious internal injuries in a collision.
The fine for a first-time violation of Maine’s child restraint laws starts at $50 and increases to $125 for a second offense and $250 for subsequent violations. While the financial penalty may seem manageable, the real cost of an improperly secured child in a crash can be catastrophic. Maine law treats child restraint violations as a primary enforcement offense, meaning an officer can pull you over specifically for this reason without needing another justification.
In some cases, failing to put a child in a car seat when required can negatively impact a personal injury claim.
That is because Maine uses the rule of modified comparative negligence to determine whether and how much the plaintiff in a personal injury claim can recover.
Modified comparative negligence means that the plaintiff can recover as long as they are not 50% or more to blame for their losses.
Consider that the plaintiff was in a car accident with their unrestrained child in the backseat. Although the collision was minor, the unrestrained child struck their head on the window and suffered a traumatic brain injury.
Thus, a jury could find the plaintiff more than 50% responsible for the child’s injury and resulting losses, making the plaintiff unable to recover.
Maine continues to update its car seat laws as research provides more information on child vehicle safety.
Just because you knew the car seat laws a decade ago does not mean you know the current requirements and prohibitions. Luckily, our team stays up to date on new car seat laws and can explain them.
Mann Law LLC takes the time to meet with all our clients one-on-one and answer any of their questions. Reach out to our office today to schedule your free initial consultation.
